Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense spits, present participle spitting, past tense, past participle spatlanguage note: In American English, the form spit is used as the past tense and past participle.
1. uncountable noun
Spit is the watery liquid produced in your mouth. You usually use spit to refer to an amount of it that has been forced out of someone's mouth.
2. verb
If someone spits, they force an amount of liquid out of their mouth, often to show hatred or contempt.
The gang thought of hitting him too, but decided just to spit. [VERB]
They spat at me and taunted me. [VERB preposition]
She spit into the little tray of mascara and brushed it on her lashes. [VERB preposition]
Synonyms: expectorate, gob [British, informal], sputter, flob [British, informal] More Synonyms of spit
3. verb
If you spit liquid or food somewhere, you force a small amount of it out of your mouth.
Spit out that gum and pay attention. [V n with out]
He felt as if a serpent had spat venom into his eyes. [VERB noun preposition]
I started spitting blood and my mother panicked. [VERB noun]
4. verb
If something such as a machine or food that is cooking spits, it sends out small amounts of something, making a series of short, sharp noises.
The engine spat and banged. [VERB]
...the fire where kebabs were sizzling and spitting. [VERB]
Synonyms: sizzle, hiss, crackle, sputter More Synonyms of spit
5. verb
If someone spits an insult or comment, they say it in an angry or hostile way.
[written]
'Wait a minute,' Mindy spat. 'You can't stay overnight.'. [VERB with quote]
Cramer spat an obscenity. [VERB noun]
Spit out means the same as spit.
He spat out 'I don't like the way he looks at me.'. [VERBPARTICLE with quote]
She spat the name out like an insult. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
He appeared to be angry, spitting out disconnected words. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
6. verb [usually cont]
If itis spitting, it is raining very lightly.
[British]
It will stop in a minute–it's only spitting. [VERB]
regional note: in AM, use sprinkle
Synonyms: rain lightly, drizzle, spot More Synonyms of spit
7. countable noun
A spit is a long rod which is pushed through a piece of meat and hung over an open fire to cook the meat.
She roasted the meat on a spit.
Synonyms: rotisserie, skewer, brochette More Synonyms of spit
8. countable noun
A spit of land is a long, flat, narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea.
9.
See within spitting distance
10.
See spitting image
Phrasal verbs:
See spit out
More Synonyms of spit
spit in British English1
(spɪt)
verbWord forms: spits, spitting, spat or spit
1. (intransitive)
to expel saliva from the mouth; expectorate
2. (intransitive) informal
to show disdain or hatred by spitting
3.
(of a fire, hot fat, etc) to eject (fragments of coal, sparks, etc) violently and with an explosive sound; splutter
4. (intransitive)
to rain very lightly
5. (transitive; often foll byout)
to eject or discharge (something) from the mouth
he spat the food out
to spit blood
6. (transitive; often foll byout)
to utter (short sharp words or syllables), esp in a violent manner
7. spit chips
8. spit it out!
noun
9. another name for spittle
10.
a light or brief fall of rain, snow, etc
11.
the act or an instance of spitting
12. informal, mainly British another word for spitting image
Derived forms
spitter (ˈspitter)
noun
Word origin
Old English spittan; related to spǣtan to spit, German dialect spitzen
spit in British English2
(spɪt)
noun
1.
a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted before or over an open fire
2. Also called: rotisserie, rotating spit
a similar device rotated by electricity or clockwork, fitted onto a cooker
3.
an elongated often hooked strip of sand or shingle projecting from the shore, deposited by longshore drift, and usually above water
verbWord forms: spits, spitting or spitted
4. (transitive)
to impale on or transfix with or as if with a spit
Word origin
Old English spitu; related to Old High German spiz spit, Norwegian spit tip
spit in British English3
(spɪt)
noun
the depth of earth cut by a spade; a spade's depth
Word origin
C16: from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German spit
spit in American English1
(spɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: spit or spat, ˈspitting
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)
verb intransitive
4.
to eject saliva from the mouth; expectorate
5.
to rain or snow lightly or briefly
6.
to make an explosive hissing noise, as an angry cat
7.
to express contempt or hatred by or as if by spitting saliva (on or at)
8.
to sputter, as frying fat
noun
9.
the act of spitting
10.
saliva; spittle
11.
something like saliva, as the frothy secretion of certain insects
12.
a light, brief shower of rain or fall of snow
13. Informal
the perfect likeness or exact image, as of a person
usually in the phrase spit and image
Idioms:
spit up
Word origin
ME spitten < OE spittan, akin to Dan spytte: for IE base see spew
spit in American English2
(spɪt)
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
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈspitted or ˈspitting
3.
to fix or impale on or as on a spit
Derived forms
spitter (ˈspitter)
noun
Word origin
ME spite < OE spitu, akin to OHG spizzi, sharp: for IE base see spike1
More idioms containing
spit
spit in someone's eye
spit out the dummy
spit and polish
spit and sawdust
spit in the wind
Examples of 'spit' in a sentence
spit
After some time a sandy spit of land came into view.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Did you just spit out your tea?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She has had a son who is the spitting image of me.
The Sun (2015)
Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.
Christianity Today (2000)
Then you must spit blood till the last game.
The Sun (2016)
And they might just spit in your soup.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Dressed head to toe in yellow she looked the spitting image of the cute character.
The Sun (2016)
The first woman slapped him and spat in his face.
The Sun (2009)
She spat fire and swallowed hard.
Hyland, Paul Indian Balm - Travels in the Southern Subcontinent (1994)
There's a sand spit where you can sip a smoothie watch the sun set.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It appears it will be spitting rain, grey skies and shorter days from here on.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
As for rights for animals, he almost spits in contempt.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The fire spits in the stove, with its own dancing.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
Both stand on the tip of a sand spit, but how best to view them?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A hail of spit rains down on us throughout the set.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
A regeneration project has seen a huge improvement in the facilities on this tiny spit of land with its golden sands.
The Sun (2012)
The surroundings: most of the great Burgundy vineyards are within spitting distance.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The fans, fed on a diet of caviar for so long, were spitting feathers.
The Sun (2007)
Play aggressively and mess it up, you could be spitting feathers for the next half-hour.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But it is a terrible insult, to spit in somebody's face.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In March it will reopen as a glamorous hotel within spitting distance of London.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
As a result, many bankers' wives are spitting feathers.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I've always been a bit fearful of cooking steaks, all that spitting fat and smoke.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
spit
British English: spit /spɪt/ NOUN
Spit is the watery liquid produced in your mouth.
Spit collected in her mouth.
American English: spit
Arabic: بُصَاق
Brazilian Portuguese: cuspe
Chinese: 唾液
Croatian: pljuvačka
Czech: slina
Danish: spyt
Dutch: speeksel braadspit
European Spanish: espetón
Finnish: sylki
French: bave
German: Spucke
Greek: φτύσιμο
Italian: sputo
Japanese: つば 唾液
Korean: 침 입
Norwegian: spytt
Polish: ślina
European Portuguese: cuspo
Romanian: salivă
Russian: слюна
Latin American Spanish: asador
Swedish: spett
Thai: น้ำลายที่ถ่มออก
Turkish: şiş
Ukrainian: слина
Vietnamese: nước bọt
British English: spit /spɪt/ VERB
If someone spits, they force an amount of spit out of their mouth. If you spit liquid or food somewhere, you force a small amount of it out of your mouth.
People were spitting and throwing stones at me.
American English: spit
Arabic: يَبْصِقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: cuspir
Chinese: 吐痰
Croatian: pljuvati
Czech: plivat
Danish: spytte
Dutch: spuwen
European Spanish: escupir
Finnish: sylkeä
French: cracher
German: spucken
Greek: φτύνω
Italian: sputare
Japanese: つばを吐く
Korean: 침을 뱉다
Norwegian: spytte
Polish: plunąć
European Portuguese: cuspir
Romanian: a scuipa
Russian: плевать
Latin American Spanish: escupir
Swedish: spotta
Thai: ถ่มน้ำลาย
Turkish: tükürmek
Ukrainian: плювати
Vietnamese: nhổ nước bọt
All related terms of 'spit'
spit up
to regurgitate or cough up
frog spit
a foamy mass of threadlike green algae floating on ponds
spit curl
a circular curl of hair pressed flat against the cheek or forehead
spit out
toad spit
→ cuckoo spit (sense 1 )
cuckoo spit
a white frothy mass on the stems and leaves of many plants, produced by froghopper larvae ( cuckoo spit insects ), which feed on the plant juices
spit chips
to be very angry
spit-roast
to cook on a spit
rotating spit
a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted before or over an open fire
spit-roasted
cooked on a spit
spit it out!
a command given to someone that he or she should speak forthwith
spit and image
a person who bears a strong physical resemblance to another, esp to a relative
spit the dummy
to lose control of one's temper
spit and polish
used to talk about a place that is very clean or that is being made very clean
spit-and-sawdust
said to mean that somewhere , such as a pub or a bar, looks dirty, untidy , and not very respectable
spit in the wind
to waste your time by trying to do something which has little or no chance of success
spit out the dummy
to behave in a bad-tempered and childish way
spit in someone's eye
to deliberately upset or annoy someone
roasting jack
a rotating spit for roasting meat on
kiss curl
a circular curl of hair pressed flat against the cheek or forehead
spitting image
If you say that one person is the spitting image of another, you mean that they look very similar.