spit

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spit¹

(spĭt)

1. Saliva, especially when expectorated; spittle.

2. The act of expectorating.

3. Something, such as the frothy secretion of spittle bugs, that resembles spit.

4. A brief, scattered rainfall or snowfall.

5. Informal The perfect likeness: He's the spit and image of his father.

v. spat (spăt) or spit, spit·ting, spits

v.tr.

1. To eject from the mouth: spat out the grape seeds.

2. To eject as if from the mouth: a fire spitting sparks.

3. To emit suddenly and forcefully: spat out an insult.

v.intr.

1. To eject matter from the mouth; expectorate.

2. To express contempt or animosity, especially by ejecting matter from the mouth.

3. To make a hissing or sputtering noise: french fries spitting in the pan.

4. To rain or snow in light, scattered drops or flakes.

Phrasal Verb:

spit up

To vomit. Used especially of a baby.

[Middle English, from spitten, to spit, from Old English spittan, ultimately of imitative origin.]

spit²

(spĭt)

1. A slender, pointed rod on which meat is impaled for roasting.

2. A narrow point of land extending into a body of water.

tr.v. spit·ted, spit·ting, spits

To impale on or as if on a spit.

[Middle English, from Old English spitu.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spit

(spɪt)

vb, spits, spitting, spat or spit

1. (Physiology) (intr) to expel saliva from the mouth; expectorate

2. (intr) 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. (Physical Geography) (intr) to rain very lightly

5. (Physiology) (often foll by: out) to eject or discharge (something) from the mouth: he spat the food out; to spit blood.

6. (often foll by: out) to utter (short sharp words or syllables), esp in a violent manner

7. spit chips slang Austral to be very angry. Also (NZ): spit tacks

8. spit it out! informal Brit a command given to someone that he should speak forthwith

9. (Zoology) another name for spittle

10. (Physical Geography) a light or brief fall of rain, snow, etc

11. (Physiology) the act or an instance of spitting

12. informal chiefly Brit another word for spitting image

[Old English spittan; related to spǣtan to spit, German dialect spitzen]

ˈspitter n

spit

(spɪt)

1. (Cookery) a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted before or over an open fire

2. (Cookery) Also called: rotisserie or rotating spit a similar device rotated by electricity or clockwork, fitted onto a cooker

3. (Physical Geography) an elongated often hooked strip of sand or shingle projecting from the shore, deposited by longshore drift, and usually above water

vb, spits, spitting or spitted

(tr) to impale on or transfix with or as if with a spit

[Old English spitu; related to Old High German spiz spit, Norwegian spit tip]

spit

(spɪt)

(Agriculture) the depth of earth cut by a spade; a spade's depth

[C16: from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German spit]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spit¹

(spɪt)

v. spit spat, spit•ting, v.i.

1. to eject saliva from the mouth; expectorate.

2. to sputter: grease spitting in the fire.

v.t.

3. to eject from the mouth: to spit watermelon seeds.

4. to throw out or emit like saliva.

5. spit up, to vomit; throw up.

6. saliva, esp. when ejected.

7. the act of spitting.

8. spittle (def. 2).

Idioms:

spit and image, exact likeness. Also, spitting image.

[before 950; (v.) Middle English spitten, Old English spittan, c. dial. German spützen to spit]

spit²

(spɪt)

n., v. spit•ted, spit•ting. n.

1. a pointed rod for skewering and holding meat over a fire or other source of heat.

2. any of various rods, pins, etc.

3. a narrow point of land projecting into the water.

4. a long, narrow shoal extending from the shore.

v.t.

5. to pierce, stab, or transfix with or as if with a spit; impale on something sharp.

[before 1000; Middle English spite, Old English spitu, c. Middle Dutch, spit, Old High German spiz spit]

spit

Past participle: spit
Gerund: spitting

Imperative
spit
spit

Present
I spit
you spit
he/she/it spits
we spit
you spit
they spit

Preterite
I spat
you spat
he/she/it spat
we spat
you spat
they spat

Present Continuous
I am spitting
you are spitting
he/she/it is spitting
we are spitting
you are spitting
they are spitting

Present Perfect
I have spit
you have spit
he/she/it has spit
we have spit
you have spit
they have spit

Past Continuous
I was spitting
you were spitting
he/she/it was spitting
we were spitting
you were spitting
they were spitting

Past Perfect
I had spit
you had spit
he/she/it had spit
we had spit
you had spit
they had spit

Future
I will spit
you will spit
he/she/it will spit
we will spit
you will spit
they will spit

Future Perfect
I will have spit
you will have spit
he/she/it will have spit
we will have spit
you will have spit
they will have spit

Future Continuous
I will be spitting
you will be spitting
he/she/it will be spitting
we will be spitting
you will be spitting
they will be spitting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been spitting
you have been spitting
he/she/it has been spitting
we have been spitting
you have been spitting
they have been spitting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been spitting
you will have been spitting
he/she/it will have been spitting
we will have been spitting
you will have been spitting
they will have been spitting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been spitting
you had been spitting
he/she/it had been spitting
we had been spitting
you had been spitting
they had been spitting

Conditional
I would spit
you would spit
he/she/it would spit
we would spit
you would spit
they would spit

Past Conditional
I would have spit
you would have spit
he/she/it would have spit
we would have spit
you would have spit
they would have spit

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

spit

1. A low strip of sand or shingle, one end joined to land, the other poking into the sea or across a bay.

2. The depth of a spade’s blade, usually about 10 inches.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	spit - a narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea tongue cape, ness - a strip of land projecting into a body of water sand - a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
	2.	spit - a clear liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands of the mouth; moistens the mouth and starts the digestion of starches saliva, spittle secretion - a functionally specialized substance (especially one that is not a waste) released from a gland or cell slobber, dribble, drivel, drool - saliva spilling from the mouth tobacco juice - saliva colored brown by tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco) salivary gland - any of three pairs of glands in the mouth and digestive system that secrete saliva for digestion ptyalin - an amylase secreted in saliva
	3.	spit - a skewer for holding meat over a fire brochette - a small spit or skewer rack, stand - a support for displaying various articles; "the newspapers were arranged on a rack" skewer - a long pin for holding meat in position while it is being roasted turnspit - a roasting spit that can be turned
	4.	spit - the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva) spitting, expectoration ejection, forcing out, expulsion, projection - the act of expelling or projecting or ejecting
Verb	1.	spit - expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth; "The father of the victim spat at the alleged murderer" ptyalise, ptyalize, spew, spue cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth cough up, pony up, spit up - give reluctantly; "He coughed up some money for his children's tuition"
	2.	spit - utter with anger or contempt spit out let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand"
	3.	spit - rain gently; "It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick" patter, pitter-patter, spatter, sprinkle rain, rain down - precipitate as rain; "If it rains much more, we can expect some flooding"
	4.	spit - drive a skewer through; "skewer the meat for the BBQ" skewer pin - pierce with a pin; "pin down the butterfly"

spit

verb

1. expectorate, gob (Brit. informal), sputter, hoick (Brit. informal) They spat at me and taunted me.

2. eject, discharge, throw out I spat it on to my plate.

3. sizzle, hiss, crackle, sputter the fire where pork chops were sizzling and spitting

4. snap, bark, snarl, say angrily, sputter, speak sharply `Get out of here,' he spat angrily.

5. rain lightly, drizzle, spot It will stop in a minute - it's only spitting.

noun

1. saliva, dribble, spittle, drool, slaver, sputum When he took a corner kick he was showered with spit.

within spitting distance close, near, beside, alongside, close by, just round the corner, within sniffing distance (informal), a hop, skip and a jump away (informal) a restaurant within spitting distance of the Tower of London

spit

noun rotisserie, skewer, brochette She roasted the meat on a spit.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

بُصاقبُصَاقسَفّود، سيخ شَكيَبْصُقيَبْصِقُ

slinaplivatplivnoutplivnutírožeň

spytspyttespidsprøjtesprutte

spucken Spucke Bratspieß Nehrung speien

φτύνω φτύσιμο

kraĉi

escupir asador espetón esputo saliva

sylkeäsylki

cracher broche crachat salive vomir

יריקה ירק רוק

pljuvatiražanjpljuvačka

köp

hrækjamunnvatn, hrákispÿtasteikarteinn

sputare sputo spiedo suo padre fatto e sputato lingua di terra

つばつばを吐く

침침을 뱉다

iesmssiekalasspļautsprakšķētsprēgāt

spuwen speeksel

spytte spidd sprute spytt

plunąć ślina

cuspir cuspo cuspe

плевать поплёвывать слюна вертел коса

odpľuťpľuťvyprsknúť

pljunitislina

spottaspett

ถ่มน้ำลายน้ำลายที่ถ่มออก

tükürmek tükürük atmak kebap şişi püskürtmek

nhổ nước bọtnước bọt

唾液烤肉叉爆出火花吐唾液吐痰

spit

¹ [spɪt] (spat (vb: pt, pp))

A. N → saliva f, esputo m
a few spits of rain → unas gotas de lluvia
spit and polish → limpieza f
that table needs a bit of spit and polish → esa mesa hay que limpiarla
to be the dead spit of sb → ser la viva imagen or el vivo retrato de algn

B. VT

1. (lit) [+ blood, crumb] → escupir

2. (= exclaim) → espetar, soltar
"traitor!" he spat → -¡traidor! -espetó or soltó él
he spat the words → escupió las palabras

C. VI

1. [person] → escupir (at, on a en) [cat] → bufar
to spit in sb's face → escupir a la cara a algn
it's spitting with rain (Brit) → están cayendo algunas gotas

2. [fat, fire] → chisporrotear
the fish is spitting in the pan → chisporrotea el pescado en la sartén

spit forth VT + ADV = spit out

spit out VT + ADV

1. [+ pip, pill] → escupir
I spat it out → lo escupí

2. (fig) spit it out! → ¡dilo!, ¡habla!
he spat out the words → escupió las palabras

spit up VT + ADV [+ blood] → soltar un esputo de

spit

² [spɪt]

A. N

1. (Culin) → asador m, espetón m

2. (Geog) [of land] → lengua f; (= sandbank) → banco m de arena

B. VT → espetar

C. CPD spit roast N → asado m
see also spitroast

spit

³ [spɪt] N (Agr) → azadada f
to dig three spits deep → excavar a una profundidad de tres azadadas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spit

[ˈspɪt]

(for roasting) → broche f

(= spittle) → crachat m (= saliva) → salive f

[land] → pointe f

vi [spat] (pt, pp)

[person, cat] → cracher

[fire] → crépiter; [frying food] → grésiller

(British) (= rain lightly) → pleuvioter
It's only spitting → Il pleuviote seulement.

[+ blood, venom] → cracher

(= say angrily) [+ abuse, insults, curses] → cracher

spit out

vt sep

[+ gum, food] → cracher

(= say angrily) [+ words, insults] → cracher

spit

¹ vb: pret, ptp <spat>

(= action) → (Aus)spucken nt; (= saliva) → Spucke f; there was just a spit of rain → es tröpfelte nur; to give something a bit of spit and polish (inf) → etw wienern (inf); it needs a bit of spit and polish (inf) → es müsste einmal tüchtig gewienert werden (inf); a spit and sawdust club (Brit inf) → eine (echte) Spelunke

(inf: = image) = spitting image

vt → spucken, speien (geh)

vi → spucken, speien (geh); (fat) → spritzen; (fire) → zischen; (person: verbally, cat) → fauchen, zischen; to spit at somebody → jdn anspucken, jdn anspeien (geh), → jdn anfauchen, jdn anzischen; to spit in somebody’s face/eye → jdm ins Gesicht spucken; (fig) → auf jdn pfeifen (inf); it is spitting (with rain) (Brit) → es tröpfelt; she’s spitting in the wind if she thinks that’ll work (inf) → da hat sie sich verrechnet, wenn sie denkt, dass das funktionieren wird; fighting the system is like spitting in the wind (inf) → gegen das System anzukämpfen hat sowieso keine Wirkung

spit

(Cook) → (Brat)spieß m; on the spit → am Spieß

(of land) → Landzunge f

vt meat → (auf-)spießen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spit

¹ [spɪt] n (Culin) (for roasting) → spiedo; (of land) → lingua di terra

spit

² [spɪt] (spat (vb: pt, pp))

1. n (spittle) → sputo; (saliva) → saliva
a bit of spit and polish (fam) → una bella lucidata
to be the dead spit of sb (fam) → essere il ritratto sputato di qn

2. vt → sputare

3. vi to spit (at) → sputare (addosso a); (cat) → soffiare (contro)
to spit on the ground → sputare per terra
it is spitting with rain → sta piovigginando

spit out vt + adv (sparks) → sprigionare; (fat) → schizzare
spit it out! (fam) (say it) → sputa il rospo!

spit¹

(spit) noun

(also spittle (ˈspitl) ) the liquid that forms in the mouth.

verb – present participle ˈspitting: past tense, past participle spat (spat) –

1. to throw out (spit) from the mouth. He spat in the gutter as an indication of contempt.

2. to send (out) with force. The fire spat (out) sparks.

spit²

(spit) noun

a type of sharp-pointed metal bar on which meat is roasted.

spit

→ بُصَاق, يَبْصِقُ plivat, slina spyt, spytte Spucke, spucken φτύνω, φτύσιμο asador, escupir, espetón sylkeä, sylki bave, cracher pljuvačka, pljuvati sputare, sputo つば, つばを吐く 침, 침을 뱉다 speeksel, spuwen spytt, spytte plunąć, ślina cuspe, cuspir, cuspo плевать, слюна spett, spotta ถ่มน้ำลาย, น้ำลายที่ถ่มออก şiş, tükürmek nhổ nước bọt, nước bọt 吐痰, 唾液

spit

n. saliva, escupo;

v. escupir, expectorar.

spit

n saliva; vt, vi (pret & pp spat; ger spitting) escupir; to — (something) out escupir (algo); to — up (ped, fam) regurgitar, devolverse(le) (a uno) la comida (fam)

References in classic literature ?

Spit rather on the gate of the city, and--turn back!

Here floweth all blood putridly and tepidly and frothily through all veins: spit on the great city, which is the great slum where all the scum frotheth together!

View in context

He snatched the boot out of my hand, and set it in a footmark on the sand, bearing south from us as we stood, and pointing straight towards the rocky ledge called the South Spit. The mark was not yet blurred out by the rain--and the girl's boot fitted it to a hair.

The South Spit was just awash with the flowing tide; the waters heaved over the hidden face of the Shivering Sand.

View in context

As soon as the play was over, the Director went to the kitchen, where a fine big lamb was slowly turning on the spit. More wood was needed to finish cooking it.

View in context

Presently when he had looked at us enough he came towards us, and stretching out his hand took me by the back of the neck, turning me this way and that, but feeling that I was mere skin and bone he set me down again and went on to the next, whom he treated in the same fashion; at last he came to the captain, and finding him the fattest of us all, he took him up in one hand and stuck him upon a spit and proceeded to kindle a huge fire at which he presently roasted him.

View in context

Those moans express in the first place all the aimlessness of your pain, which is so humiliating to your consciousness; the whole legal system of nature on which you spit disdainfully, of course, but from which you suffer all the same while she does not.

View in context

He continued his walk, but he had scarcely gone a hundred paces, when a furious fellow, leaning between two soldiers, spat in the king's face, as once an infamous and accursed Jew spit in the face of Jesus of Nazareth.

View in context

I was pretty far down on the low, sandy spit that encloses the anchorage to the east, and is joined at half-water to Skeleton Island; and now, as I rose to my feet, I saw, some distance further down the spit and rising from among low bushes, an isolated rock, pretty high, and peculiarly white in colour.

View in context

But to you, O hypercritical reader, resolute to believe no item of this weird adventure, what need to tell how the mutton was placed on the spit, and slowly unroasted--how the potatoes were wrapped in their skins, and handed over to the gardener to be buried--how, when the mutton had at length attained to rawness, the fire, which had gradually changed from red-heat to a mere blaze, died down so suddenly that the cook had only just time to catch its last flicker on the end of a match--or how the maid, having taken the mutton off the spit, carried it (backwards, of course) out of the house, to meet the butcher, who was coming (also backwards) down the road?

View in context

because hast got a spit there dangling at thy side.

View in context

There they found Nestor sitting with his sons, while his company round him were busy getting dinner ready, and putting pieces of meat on to the spits {26} while other pieces were cooking.

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