sputum

American  

[spyoo-tuhm] / ˈspyu təm /

noun

plural

sputa

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

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sputum British  

/ ˈspjuːtəm /

noun

1. a mass of salivary matter ejected from the mouth

2. saliva ejected from the mouth mixed with mucus or pus exuded from the respiratory passages, as in bronchitis or bronchiectasis

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Etymology

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

Compare meaning

How does sputum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sputum vs. mucus

Explanation

Sputum is the gross stuff that you cough up when you're sick and congested. Sputum is your saliva mixed with mucus from your lungs. Examining a patient's sputum is one way for a doctor to tell if she might have an infection, rather than just a cold. A yellow or greenish color to the sputum someone coughs up is a sign of infection, while clear sputum usually means all is well. The word sputum shares a root with spew, the Latin verb spuere, "to spit."

Example Sentences

In this study, experts engineered a living material resembling natural sputum, or phlegm, from CF patients that can grow 3D polymicrobial biofilms in a controlled manner, resembling those found in the CF lung.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

A sign at the entrance to the clinic announces the other major health problem: "sputum sampling" for tuberculosis or TB.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023

They’ve also helped health clinics in Africa diagnose people with tuberculosis, detecting the bacteria in the sputum samples of 25,000 patients.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2023

But were these tree bubbles — or tree sputum, as I came to call them — actually insect eggs?

From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2023

Said tell him Mr. Blakeslee was having a bad chill and he’d coughed up some dark, rusty sputum.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns