Spit

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈspɪt/
• Rhymes: -ɪt

From Old English spitu, from Proto-Germanic *spituz.

Full definition of spit

Noun

1. A rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).
2. A narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula.
• 1881, , :Or perhaps he may see a group of washerwomen relieved, on a spit of shingle, against the blue sea ..
3. The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful.

Verb

1. To impale on a spit.to spit a loin of veal
• Shakespeareinfants spitted upon pikes
2. To attend to a spit; to use a spit.She's spitting in the kitchen.
3. To spade; to dig.

From Old English spittan, from Proto-Germanic (compare Danish spytte, Swedish spotta), from Proto-Indo-European *sp(y)ēw, *spyū

Ayto, John, Dictionary of Word Origins, Arcade Publishing, New York, 1990

, of imitiative origin (see spew)

spew, Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper

Verb

1. (intransitive, transitive) To evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.Don't spit on the street.The teacher told her to spit out her bubble gum.
• 1994, Stephen Fry, The Hippopotamus Chapter 2At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
2. To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.
• Charles DickensIt had been spitting with rain.
3. (transitive) To utter violently.
• 1915, Amélie Rives Troubetzkoy, Shadows of Flames, page 240 http://books.google.com/books?id=-9AcAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=spat:"Why, you little emasculated Don Juan— You—" he spat an unmentionable name— "d'you think I'd fight one of your tin-soldier farces with you? Clear out!"
• 2004, Mark Gatiss, , 2005 edition, ISBN 0743483790, chapter 3, page 23 http://books.google.com/books?id=d9F9MUiOQD4C&pg=PA23&dq=spat:"Gentleman? You?" he spat.
4. (transitive, slang, hip-hop) To utter.
• 2005, Giselle Zado Wasfie, So FlyA group of black guys were spitting rhymes in the corner, slapping hands and egging one another on.

Usage notes

Spit as the past form is common only in the US, while spat is common everywhere.

Synonyms

• expectorate

Derived terms

Noun

1. (uncountable) Saliva, especially when expectorated.There was spit all over the washbasin.
2. (countable) An instance of spitting.

Synonyms

• expectoration, saliva

Derived terms

Anagrams

• pits
• stip, Å tip
• tips