Library / English Dictionary

SPIT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: spat    , spitted    , spitting   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva)

Synonyms:

expectoration; spit; spitting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("spit" is a kind of...):

ejection; expulsion; forcing out; projection (the act of expelling or projecting or ejecting)

Derivation:

spit (expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A skewer for holding meat over a fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("spit" is a kind of...):

skewer (a long pin for holding meat in position while it is being roasted)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spit"):

brochette (a small spit or skewer)

turnspit (a roasting spit that can be turned)

Holonyms ("spit" is a part of...):

rack; stand (a support for displaying various articles)

Derivation:

spit (drive a skewer through)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

saliva; spit; spittle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("spit" is a kind of...):

secretion (a functionally specialized substance (especially one that is not a waste) released from a gland or cell)

Meronyms (substance of "spit"):

ptyalin (an amylase secreted in saliva)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spit"):

dribble; drivel; drool; slobber (saliva spilling from the mouth)

tobacco juice (saliva colored brown by tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco))

Holonyms ("spit" is a part of...):

salivary gland (any of three pairs of glands in the mouth and digestive system that secrete saliva for digestion)

Derivation:

spit (expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea

Synonyms:

spit; tongue

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("spit" is a kind of...):

cape; ness (a strip of land projecting into a body of water)

Meronyms (substance of "spit"):

sand (a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth

Example:

The father of the victim spat at the alleged murderer

Synonyms:

ptyalise; ptyalize; spew; spit; spue

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "spit" is one way to...):

cough out; cough up; expectorate; spit out; spit up (discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The women spit water into the bowl

Also:

spit up (discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth)

spit up (give reluctantly)

Derivation:

spit (the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva))

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)

spitter (a person who spits (ejects saliva or phlegm from the mouth))

spitting (the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter with anger or contempt

Synonyms:

spit; spit out

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spit" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Drive a skewer through

Example:

skewer the meat for the BBQ

Synonyms:

skewer; spit

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "spit" is one way to...):

pin (pierce with a pin)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

spit (a skewer for holding meat over a fire)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Rain gently

Example:

It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick

Synonyms:

patter; pitter-patter; spatter; spit; sprinkle

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Hypernyms (to "spit" is one way to...):

rain; rain down (precipitate as rain)

Sentence frame:

It is ----ing

Credits

 Context examples: 

They are in turn thought to be driven by the presence of supermassive black holes, which drag surrounding material inwards and spit out bright jets and radiation as they do so.

(Hubble's Megamaser Galaxy, ESA/NASA)

Then, when he sprang out upon it, it would transform itself into an electric car, menacing and terrible, towering over him like a mountain, screaming and clanging and spitting fire at him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Yet his time came, in the end, in the form of a little weazened man who spat broken English and many strange and uncouth exclamations which Buck could not understand.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

As he made the demand he spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth and shoved his pugnacious face close to Oofty-Oofty.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Also called spit tobacco.

(Chewing tobacco, NCI Dictionary)

When they were all unloaded and packed in a great heap in one corner of the yard, the Slovaks were given some money by the Szgany, and spitting on it for luck, lazily went each to his horse's head.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

At the same instant I heard the crash of Lord John's elephant-gun, and, looking up, saw one of the creatures with a broken wing struggling upon the ground, spitting and gurgling at us with a wide-opened beak and blood-shot, goggled eyes, like some devil in a medieval picture.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was much laughter and clapping of glasses upon the table at the conclusion of old Buckhorse’s story, and I saw the Prince of Wales hand something to the waiter, who brought it round and slipped it into the skinny hand of the veteran, who spat upon it before thrusting it into his pocket.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was for this reason that he did not trust himself to the river astride one of the many drift-logs which lined its sand-spits.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

But the cat, not understanding this joke, sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched at him.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)