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sputum
[ spyoo-tuhm ]
/ Ëspyu tÉm /
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noun, plural spu·ta [spyoo-tuh]. /Ëspyu tÉ/.
matter, as saliva mixed with mucus or pus, expectorated from the lungs and respiratory passages.
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Origin of sputum
1685â95; <Latin spÅ«tum, noun use of neuter of spÅ«tus, past participle of spuere to spit, equivalent to spÅ«- variant stem + -tus past participle suffix
Words nearby sputum
spur wheel, sputnik, Sputniks, sputter, sputtering, sputum, Spuyten Duyvil Creek, spy, spyglass, spyhole, spyhop
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use sputum in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for sputum
sputum
/ (ËspjuËtÉm) /
noun plural -ta (-tÉ)
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 for 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
Medical definitions for sputum
sputum
[ spyÅÅâ²tÉm ]
n. pl. spuâ¢ta (-tÉ)
Matter coughed up and usually expelled from the mouth, especially mucus or mucopurulent matter expectorated in diseases of the air passages.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.