Sputter

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ÊŒtÉ™(r)

Origin

Probably representing Middle English *sputren, *sputrien, a frequentative form of sputen ("to spout, vomit"), equivalent to spout + -er. Cognate with Eastern Frisian spüttern ("to inject, spray, splash"), West Frisian sputterje ("to sputter"), Dutch sputteren ("to sputter"), Low German sputtern, spruttern ("to sprinkle"), German sprudeln ("to spout, squirt"). Compare splutter.

Full definition of sputter

Noun

1. Moist matter thrown out in small detached particles; also, confused and hasty speech.

Verb

1. To spit, or to emit saliva from the mouth in small, scattered portions, as in rapid speaking.
2. To utter words hastily and indistinctly; to speak so rapidly as to emit saliva.
• CongreveThey could neither of them speak their rage, and so fell a sputtering at one another, like two roasting apples.
• Jonathan SwiftTo sputter out the basest accusations.
3. To throw out anything, as little jets of steam, with a noise like that made by one sputtering.
• DrydenLike the green wood ... sputtering in the flame.
4. (transitive) To spit out hastily by quick, successive efforts, with a spluttering sound; to utter hastily and confusedly, without control over the organs of speech.In the midst of caresses, and without the last pretend incitement, to sputter out the basest accusations. -Swift.
5. (physics, intransitive) To cause surface atoms or electrons of a solid to be ejected by bombarding it with heavy atoms or ions
6. (physics, transitive) To coat the surface of an object by sputtering

Anagrams

• putters