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.
Derivatives:
sputterer n.
Etymology: Du. sputteren (imit.)