sputum

[spyoo-tuh m]

See more 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.

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sputum

Contemporary Examples

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

Historical Examples

The germ is found in the sputum and in the nasal secretions.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume IV. (of IV.)
Grant Hague
Do not dress if the temperature is above 99 degrees, or if there is blood in the sputum.
Civics and Health
William H. Allen
It is the sputum after its discharge from the body on which our attention must be fixed.
Little Masterpieces of Science: Health and Healing
Various
The sputum should be fresh—not more than three or four hours' old.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis
James Campbell Todd
The sputum should always be examined, both unstained and stained.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis
James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for sputum

sputum

noun plural -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

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for sputum

1690s, from Latin sputum, noun use of neuter past participle of spuere "to spit" (see spew).

sputum in Medicine

sputum

(spyōō′təm)

n. pl. spu•ta (-tə)

Matter coughed up and usually expelled from the mouth, especially mucus or mucopurulent matter expectorated in diseases of the air passages.

sputum

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}sputum

Examples from the Web for sputum

Contemporary Examples

Third, the virus could not be found in sputum, further supporting the clear observation that airborne spread does not occur.

Historical Examples

The germ is found in the sputum and in the nasal secretions.

Do not dress if the temperature is above 99 degrees, or if there is blood in the sputum.

It is the sputum after its discharge from the body on which our attention must be fixed.

The sputum should be fresh—not more than three or four hours' old.

The sputum should always be examined, both unstained and stained.

sputum

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for sputum

sputum

Origin of sputum