spit Hear it!

spit¹ Definition

spit (spit)

noun

  1. a thin, pointed rod or bar on which meat is impaled for broiling or roasting over a fire or before other direct heat
  2. a narrow point of land, or a narrow reef or shoal, extending into a body of water

Etymology: ME spite < OE spitu, akin to OHG spizzi, sharp: for IE base see spike

transitive verb spit′·ted, spit′·ting

to fix or impale on or as on a spit

spit¹ Related Forms
spit′·ter noun
spit² Definition

spit (spit)

transitive verb spit or spat, spit′·ting

  1. to eject from within the mouth
  2. to eject, throw (out), emit, or utter explosively to spit out an oath
  3. to light (a fuse)

Etymology: ME spitten < OE spittan, akin to Dan spytte: for IE base see spew

intransitive verb

  1. to eject saliva from the mouth; expectorate
  2. to rain or snow lightly or briefly
  3. to make an explosive hissing noise, as an angry cat
  4. to express contempt or hatred by or as if by spitting saliva (on or at)
  5. to sputter, as frying fat

noun

  1. the act of spitting
  2. saliva; spittle
  3. something like saliva, as the frothy secretion of certain insects
  4. a light, brief shower of rain or fall of snow
  5. Informal the perfect likeness or exact image, as of a person: usually in the phrase spit and imagespit′'n im′ij

spit² Idioms

spit up

to regurgitate or cough up

spit Synonyms

spit

v.

expectorate, splutter, eject, drivel, slobber, drool.

spit Usage Examples

Object

  • vitriol: Yet I think of Lester Bangs, spitting vitriol toward MOR safety in his " James Taylor Marked for Death " piece.
  • venom: Instead of breathing fire it spat venom or spewed poison gas.
  • feather: Bert Fry has already been on the phone ' spitting feathers ' .
  • distance: A decent enough pub, despite its spitting distance from Covent Garden location.
  • blood: He will be spitting blood now he's in US custody.
  • image: I'm sure she is the spitting image of my ' Banjo ' .

Adjective modifier

  • roasting: The 1825 Kitchen with its open fire and roasting spit sees the kitchen staff going about their daily tasks of cleaning and cooking.
  • sandy: The ' sandy spit ' described by Wild is nothing more than a narrow bouldered isthmus.
  • narrow: It was he who was responsible for erecting a castle on the narrow spit of land to protect the growing settlement of Shrewsbury.

Modifies a noun

  • roast: Phrases like " Get it in her " and " Shall we have a spit roast " were uttered by someone.
  • devil: We had a cat many years ago in Baton Rouge that was " playing " with a spit devil like cats play with lizards.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • upon: Our pews are empty, our churches are desecrated, our faith and creed spat upon by modern society.

Particle object:

  • lyric: The music reaches another level suddenly and the vocalist spits out lyrics and sounds utterly convincing.

Preposition: of

  • sand: Nikolai Dejevsky Still water and a spit of sand; my hand full of pebbles; how many skips before they sink?
  • land: We struggled through the waves toward a spit of land.

Preposition: with

  • rain: Although it started to spit with rain as I went out, it did not affect me that much.

Noun used with modifier

  • shingle: The shingle spit of Blakeney Point meets the coast here.
  • cuckoo: Pests The only pest on lavender is the green capsid bug or cuckoo spit.
  • sand: One of the unique features of the hotel is the shallow sand spit which connects The Retreat to the beautiful beaches on the island.
  • gravel: Before its development as a gravel spit, the site of the Denn was an area of upper-middle saltmarsh.
spit Quotes

Are simple women only fit To dress, to darn, to flower or knit, To mind the distaff, or the spit? Why are the needle and the pen Thought incompatible by men? 507

—Lewis, Esther married name  Clark

This is not a book in the ordinary sense of the word. No, this is a prolonged insult, a gob of spit inthe face of Art, a kick in the pants to God, Man, Destiny,Time, Love, Beauty†what you will. I am going to sing for you, a little off-key perhaps, but I will sing.

—Miller, Henry Valentine

For your names Of whores and murderers, they proceed from you, As if a man should spit against the wind; The filth returns in's face.

—Webster,John

Browse dictionary entries near spit

  1. ‹ spiry
  2. ‹ spirulina
  3. ‹ spirula
  4. ‹ spirt
  5. ‹ spirometer
  6. ‹ spiroid
  7. ‹ spirogyra
  8. ‹ spirograph
  9. ‹ spirochetosis
  10. ‹ spirochete
  1. spit and image ›
  2. spit and polish ›
  3. spit curl ›
  4. spital ›
  5. spitball ›
  6. spite ›
  7. spiteful ›
  8. spitfire ›
  9. Spithead ›
  10. Spitsbergen ›