spit
spit1 /spɪt/
verb (past tense and past participle spat /spæt/ or spit American English, present participle spitting)
Nick rolled down his window and spat.
spit at/on/into
A group of fans spat on the players as they left the field.
2. FOOD/DRINK ETC [transitive] to force something out of your mouth:
Billy stood up slowly, rubbed his jaw, and spat blood.
spit something out
Diana tasted her martini and quickly spat it out.
3. RAIN be spitting British English to be raining very lightly
SYN drizzle:
You don’t need an umbrella – it’s only spitting.
4. SAY SOMETHING (also spit out) [transitive] to say something quickly in a very angry way:
‘Shut up!’, spat Maria furiously.
5. spit it out spoken used to ask someone to tell you something that they seem too frightened or embarrassed to say:
Come on, Jean. Spit it out!
6. SMALL PIECES [intransitive and transitive] to send out small bits of something, for example fire or hot oil, into the air:
A log fire was crackling and spitting in the hearth.
7. CAT [intransitive] if a cat spits, it makes short angry sounds
8. be within spitting distance (of something) spoken to be very close to someone or something
9. spit the dummy informal to react to something in a very angry way – used when suggesting that the person is behaving like a child and not reacting like an adult should
spit up phrasal verb American English
if someone, especially a baby, spits up, they bring a small amount of food or drink up from their stomach out through their mouth
spit something ↔ up
I was a difficult child, always crying and spitting up my food.
On one occasion, our daughter spat up all over him.
spit2
noun
Origin: spitu1. [uncountable] informal the watery liquid that is produced in your mouth
SYN saliva
2. [countable] a long thin stick that you put through meat so that you can turn it when cooking it over a fire
3. [countable] a long narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea, into a river etc
4. be the (dead) spit of somebody British English spoken to look exactly like someone else:
Sam is the dead spit of his dad.
5. spit and polish informal when something is thoroughly cleaned and polished:
It was Christmas, so Ellen gave the dining room a little extra spit and polish.
| I |
verb (past tense and past participle spat /spæt/ or spit American English, present participle spitting) Language: Old English
Origin: spittan
1. LIQUID FROM YOUR MOUTH [intransitive] to force a small amount of saliva (=the liquid in your mouth) out of your mouth:Origin: spittan
spit at/on/into
2. FOOD/DRINK ETC [transitive] to force something out of your mouth:
spit something out
3. RAIN be spitting British English to be raining very lightly
SYN drizzle:
4. SAY SOMETHING (also spit out) [transitive] to say something quickly in a very angry way:
5. spit it out spoken used to ask someone to tell you something that they seem too frightened or embarrassed to say:
6. SMALL PIECES [intransitive and transitive] to send out small bits of something, for example fire or hot oil, into the air:
7. CAT [intransitive] if a cat spits, it makes short angry sounds
8. be within spitting distance (of something) spoken to be very close to someone or something
9. spit the dummy informal to react to something in a very angry way – used when suggesting that the person is behaving like a child and not reacting like an adult should
spit up phrasal verb American English
if someone, especially a baby, spits up, they bring a small amount of food or drink up from their stomach out through their mouth
spit something ↔ up
| II |
noun Sense 2,3
Language: Old EnglishOrigin: spitu
SYN saliva
2. [countable] a long thin stick that you put through meat so that you can turn it when cooking it over a fire
3. [countable] a long narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea, into a river etc
4. be the (dead) spit of somebody British English spoken to look exactly like someone else:
5. spit and polish informal when something is thoroughly cleaned and polished: