spit1

[spit] /spɪt/
verb (used without object), spit or spat, spitting.
1.
to eject saliva from the mouth; expectorate.
2.
to express hatred, contempt, etc., by or as if by ejecting saliva from the mouth.
3.
to sputter:
grease spitting on the fire.
4.
to fall in scattered drops or flakes, as rain or snow.
verb (used with object), spit or spat, spitting.
5.
to eject from the mouth:
The children were spitting watermelon seeds over the fence.
6.
to throw out or emit like saliva:
The kettle spits boiling water over the stove.
7.
to set a flame to.
noun
8.
saliva, especially when ejected.
9.
the act of spitting.
10.
Entomology. Also called spittle. the frothy secretion exuded by spittlebugs.
11.
a light fall of rain or snow.
Verb phrases
12.
spit up, to vomit; throw up:
The wounded soldier spat up blood. If you jostle the baby, she'll spit up.
Idioms
13.
spit and image, Informal. exact likeness; counterpart:
Hunched over his desk, pen in hand, he was the spit and image of his father at work.
Also, spitting image, spit 'n' image.
Origin
before 950; (v.) Middle English spitten, Old English spittan; cognate with German (dial.) spitzen to spit; akin to Old English spǣtan to spit, spātl spittle; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.
Related forms
spitlike, adjective
Synonyms
3. spatter.

spit2

[spit] /spɪt/
noun
1.
a pointed rod or bar for thrusting through and holding meat that is to be cooked before or over a fire.
2.
any of various rods, pins, or the like used for particular purposes.
3.
a narrow point of land projecting into the water.
4.
a long, narrow shoal extending from the shore.
verb (used with object), spitted, spitting.
5.
to pierce, stab, or transfix, as with a spit; impale on something sharp.
6.
to thrust a spit into or through.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English spite, Old English spitu; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German spit, spet, Old High German spiz spit; akin to Old Norse spīta peg
Examples from the web for spit
  • The lobsters also quickly spit out opaline-laced shrimp.
  • To keep the weight down, the engines spit out lots of half burnt particles.
  • If he could spit out the rice, he was telling the truth.
  • Of course, don't mistake the trigger for a spit valve.
  • The spit was a long, pointed rod of metal or wood thrust through the meat.
  • They chew them to extract the nectar and spit out what is left.
  • In fact, if they swallow something too big, they spit it out.
  • These spiders produce a mixture of venom, glue and silk to spit at their prey.
  • There are certainly far more smokers who drop their butts than gum chewers who spit their masticated wads on the streets.
  • Then the loonies can hiss and spit at each other while the grownups get on with life.
British Dictionary definitions for spit

spit1

/spɪt/
verb spits, spitting, spat, spit
1.
(intransitive) to expel saliva from the mouth; expectorate
2.
(intransitive) (informal) to show disdain or hatred by spitting
3.
(of a fire, hot fat, etc) to eject (fragments of coal, sparks, etc) violently and with an explosive sound; splutter
4.
(intransitive) to rain very lightly
5.
(transitive) often foll by out. to eject or discharge (something) from the mouth: he spat the food out, to spit blood
6.
(transitive) often foll by out. to utter (short sharp words or syllables), esp in a violent manner
7.
(Austral, slang) spit chips, to be very angry Also (NZ) spit tacks
8.
(Brit, informal) spit it out!, a command given to someone that he should speak forthwith
noun
9.
another name for spittle
10.
a light or brief fall of rain, snow, etc
11.
the act or an instance of spitting
12.
(informal, mainly Brit) another word for spitting image
Derived Forms
spitter, noun
Word Origin
Old English spittan; related to spǣtan to spit, German dialect spitzen

spit2

/spɪt/
noun
1.
a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted before or over an open fire
2.
Also called rotisserie, rotating spit. a similar device rotated by electricity or clockwork, fitted onto a cooker
3.
an elongated often hooked strip of sand or shingle projecting from the shore, deposited by longshore drift, and usually above water
verb spits, spitting, spitted
4.
(transitive) to impale on or transfix with or as if with a spit
Word Origin
Old English spitu; related to Old High German spiz spit, Norwegian spit tip

spit3

/spɪt/
noun
1.
the depth of earth cut by a spade; a spade's depth
Word Origin
C16: from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German spit
Word Origin and History for spit
v.

"expel saliva," Old English spittan (Anglian), spætan (West Saxon), from PIE *sp(y)eu-, of imitative origin (see spew). Not the usual Old English word for this; spætlan (see spittle) and spiwan (see spew) are more common. Meaning "to eject saliva (at someone or something) as a gesture of contempt" is in Old English.

n.

"saliva," c.1300, from spit (v.). Meaning "the very likeness" is attested from c.1600 (e.g. spitting image, attested from 1901); cf. French craché in same sense. Military phrase spit and polish first recorded 1895.

"sharp-pointed rod on which meat is roasted," Old English spitu, from Proto-Germanic *spituz (cf. Middle Dutch spit, Swedish spett, Old High German spiz, German Spieß "spit," German spitz "pointed"), from PIE *spei- "sharp point" (see spike (n.1)). This is also the source of the word meaning "sandy point" (1670s). Old French espois, Spanish espeto "spit" are Germanic loan-words. The verb meaning "to put on a spit" is recorded from c.1200.

Slang definitions & phrases for spit

spit

noun

Nothing; zilch, zip: ''What'd she come up with?'' ''Spit''

Related Terms

hot spit, not count for spit, not worth a bucket of warm spit, swap spit

[1960s+; a euphemism for shit]


spit in Technology


Language for IBM 650. (See IT).