sputtering

American  

[spuht-er-ing] / ˈspʌt ər ɪŋ /

noun

1. Engineering, Electronics. a process that uses ions of an inert gas to dislodge atoms from the surface of a crystalline material, the atoms then being electrically deposited to form an extremely thin coating on a glass, metal, plastic, or other surface.

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Other Word Forms

• unsputtering adjective

Etymology

Origin of sputtering

First recorded in 1900–05; sputter + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

It was an unsettling end to the season for the Rams, who lost back-to-back games at Seattle and Atlanta, then got off to a sputtering start in the finale against Arizona.

From Los Angeles Times

In this regime, physical sputtering plays a dominant role in shaping plasma behavior.

From Science Daily

Boston’s biotech sector, long a vital economic engine for one of America’s wealthiest metro areas, is sputtering.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lexington’s economic engine is sputtering to a halt.

From The Wall Street Journal

But as labor shortages, high interest rates and a costly fiscal squeeze begins to bite, growth is sputtering.

From The Wall Street Journal