I. ˈspi]t, usu ]d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English spite, from Old English spitu; akin to Middle Dutch spit, spet spit, Old High German spiz spit, spizzi pointed, Icelandic spīta peg, Latin spina thorn — more at spine
1.
a. : a usually metal stationary or revolving slender pointed rod for holding meat and other foods while cooking before or over a fire
b. archaic : sword
c. dialect Britain : a skewer on which fish (as herring) are hung to dry
d. : spindle 1d
e. : a steel rod on which drawn wire is wound as it leaves drawplates
2.
a. : a small point of land commonly consisting of sand or gravel deposited by waves and currents and running into a body of water — compare bar 2d
b. : a long narrow shoal extending from the shore
II. transitive verb
( spitted ; spitted ; spitting ; spits )
Etymology: Middle English spiten, from spite, n.
1. : to thrust a spit through : fix upon a spit
over the floor were spread the glowing embers of a fire; and across it … were spitted four whole sheep — Oscar Handlin
2. : to fix as if with a spit : impale
spitted him on a bayonet — Mack Morriss
III. “, dial ˈspe] verb
( spit “ ; or spat -pa] ; spit or spat also dialect spitted -pid.ə̇d, -itə̇d ; or spit·ten -pit ə n ; spitting ; spits )
Etymology: Middle English spitten, from Old English (northern dialect) spittan, of imitative origin
transitive verb
1.
a. : to eject from the mouth (as saliva) : expectorate
got a cigar, bit off the end and spit it out — Wallace Stegner
b.
(1) : to express (scorn, hatred, or malicious feelings) by or as if by spitting
the old man simply spat his contempt and stumped away — Roderick Finkayson
(2) : to utter with a spitting sound or scornful expression : utter in a scornful, malicious, venomous, rapid, or authoritative manner
his father's face, spitting the one furious word — John Fountain
spat out the words with unmistakable passion — Helen Howe
c. : to emit or eject as if by spitting : throw forth or out
guns … capable of spitting heavy flak at guided missiles — Science
a machine … cuts the hay as it goes along, places it, ties it with wire, then spits it out the other side — Ralph Gustafson
specifically : to emit (precipitation) in driving particles or short scattered flurries
the sky spat rain tentatively — Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican
2. : to set fire to : start burning
spit a fuse
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to eject saliva as a gross insult or as a means of showing aversion or contempt — usually used with such prepositions as at, on, or upon
spat in their own black, ugly eyes — T.B.Costain
spat contemptuously at the stove — R.H.Newman
(2) : to possess or exhibit contempt — usually used with the phrase in the eye of
spits in the eye of commercialism with these words — Ebony
b. : to eject saliva : expectorate
spit in the water and watched it bob away — R.O.Bowen
spat into the swept-up heap of rubbish — Herbert Gold
2. : to rain or snow slightly or with scattered drops or flakes : fall in flurries
the rain spits icily down — Kenneth Tynan
3.
a. : to make a noise like that of expectoration : make a sudden short crackling or popping sound : sputter
the eggs spit in the pan — A.R.Foff
the motor coughed and spit — R.S.Hillyer
b. : to emit something or become emitted with a spitting sound
the bullets spit into the sand below — H.H.Arnold & I.C.Eaker
•
- spit cotton
- spit it out
- spit sixpences
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from spitten, v. — more at spit III
1.
a.
(1) : the secretion normally occurring in the mouth : spittle , saliva , sputum
(2) : the act or an instance of spitting
b.
(1) : a frothing secretion resembling saliva exuded by spittlebugs
(2) : spittlebug
2. : a short distance
followed him into the woods about one good spit from the door — William Faulkner
3.
[so called from a former popular saying that a child with a great resemblance to its father looks as much like him as if it had been spit out of his mouth]
: perfect likeness : counterpart , image — usually used in the phrase spit and image
the spit and image of his father
4. : a falling of rain or snow in scattered particles : a sprinkle of rain or flurry of snow
V. ˈspit noun
( -s )
Etymology: Dutch, from Middle Dutch; akin to Middle Dutch spitten to dig. spade and probably to Old English spitu spit — more at spit I
1. chiefly Britain : the depth of the blade of a spade
2. chiefly Britain
a. : a layer of earth as deep as the blade of a spade
b. : a spadeful of earth