v. & n.
v. 1 intr. emit spitting sounds, esp. when being heated. 2 intr. (often foll. by at) speak in a hurried or vehement fashion. 3 tr. emit with a spitting sound. 4 tr. speak or utter (words, threats, a language, etc.) rapidly or incoherently. 5 tr. Physics deposit (metal) by using fast ions etc. to eject particles of it from a target.
n. a sputtering sound, esp. sputtering speech. sputterer n.
[ Du. sputteren (imit.) ]