sputum

[ spyoo-tuhm ]

See synonyms for sputum on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural spu·ta

[spyoo-tuh]. /ˈspyu tə/.

matter, as saliva mixed with mucus or pus, expectorated from the lungs and respiratory passages.

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Origin of sputum

1685–95; <Latin spūtum, noun use of neuter of spūtus, past participle of spuere to spit, equivalent to spū- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix

Words Nearby sputum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sputum in a sentence

Invented in 1983, PCR is a multi-step test to detect infectious agents, including viruses in humans, using a sample of sputum or other genetic material.
The CDC’s failed race against covid-19: A threat underestimated and a test overcomplicated | David Willman | December 26, 2020 | Washington Post
Third, the virus could not be found in sputum, further supporting the clear observation that airborne spread does not occur.
Did One Liberian Prostitute Give Ebola to Eight Soldiers? | Kent Sepkowitz | October 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It, or a similar bacillus, is sometimes found in the sputum of gangrene of the lung.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
It is to be remembered, however, that a few of these bacteria may reach the sputum from the upper air-passages.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
It is sometimes met with in the sputum of catarrhal pneumonia, bronchitis, and tuberculosis.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd

Diplococci without capsules are common in the sputum, but have no special significance.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
It is especially useful with cultures upon serum media, but is applicable also to the sputum.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for sputum

sputum

/ (ˈspjuːtəm) /

nounplural -ta (-tə)

a mass of salivary matter ejected from the mouth
saliva ejected from the mouth mixed with mucus or pus exuded from the respiratory passages, as in bronchitis or bronchiectasis

Origin of sputum

C17: from Latin: spittle, from spuere to spit out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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