Forms: α. 1 spitu, 2–4 (6 Sc.) spite, 3, 5 spyte. β. 4–6 spete, 5 speete, 6 speet; Sc. 5–7 speit (6 speite, speitt), 6 speat (9 speate), 8–9 speet. γ. 4–6 spet, 5 spette. δ. 4–6 spitte, 6–8 spitt, 5– spit; 5–6 spytt(e, 6 spyt. [OE. spitu, = MDu. spit, spet (Flem., Du., WFris. spit), MLG. spit (spyt), spet (LG. spit, spet, speet, etc.), OHG. and MHG. spiz (obs. G. spisz, spiss, etc.; G. spiess); MSw. spit (Sw. spett) and Da. spid are from LG. By adoption into Romanic the word appears as It. (Naples dial.) spito, Sp. and Pg. espeto spit, F. épois (pl.) the points of a deer’s horn.]
1. A cooking implement consisting of a slender sharp-pointed rod of metal or wood, used for thrusting into or through meat which is to be roasted at a fire; a broach.
α. c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xi. (Z.), 80. Ueru, spitu. Ibid., xiv. 89. Ueribus, spitum.
a. 1100. in Assmann, Ags. Hom., xv. 39. Sumne [heo] mid spiten betweon felle & flæsce þurhwræcon.
11[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 548. Ueru, spite.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 208. Some op-on grediles of Ire i-rostede weren also, Some ase gyes, þe spites of Ire þoruȝ-out heom i-do.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4213. [He had] yspited him þoru out mid an yrene spite & rostede in þis grete fur.
c. 1340. Nominale (Skeat), 491. Broche, luche et esquele, Spite, ladul and dissch.
a. 1400. Octouian, 122. The kokes knaue, that turneth the spyte.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 469. Spyte, for rostynge,… veru.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxv. 202. They toke a spyte of coper brennyng and put it in to his body.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 287. Rosting at the fyre, vpon a spite of trie.
β. a. 1300. Body & Soul, in Map’s Poems (Camden), 334. Thine cokes snelle, that scholden … greithe thi mete, With spetes.
c. 1400. Brut (1905), 253. [They] toke a spete of Copur brennyng, & put hit … into his body.
c. 1430. Two Cookery-bks., 8. Put þe porke on a fayre spete, an rost it half y-now.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, V. ii. 117. Sum vthir … the colis hett Wndir the speitis swakkis.
1538. in Lett. Suppress. Monast. (Camden), 194. ij gret brasse pottys,… spetys, pannys.
1676. in Macintosh, Anc. Rec. Kirkwall (1892), 78. Ane pair of long caces [read raxes] and ane speit.
1679. J. Somerville, Mem. Somervilles (1815), I. 240. When any persones of qualitie wer to be with him, he used to wryte in the postscript of his letters, Speates and Raxes.
1747. in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874), 80. Three speets one shilling sixpence.
1824. Scott, Ep. to J. G. Lockhart, 42. Speates and raxes ere five [o’clock] for a famishing guest, sir.
γ. 1392. Earl Derby’s Exp. (Camden), 205. vj spets et meremiis pro rakks.
1483. Cath. Angl., 355/2. A Spette of flesche, verutum.
1559. Bury Wills (Camden), 153. A skommer, a spet, a gredyron.
1564. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 219. Tongs, poore, shouell, spet, and that belongs thervnto.
δ. 1391. Earl Derby’s Exp. (Camden), 102. Pro iiij magnis spittes longis, et ij paruis spittes.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 13. Rost hit afterwarde…, then serve thou may Hit forthe with spit.
1495. Nottingham Rec., III. 38. Unum spytte cum uno cobberd.
1540. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 119. The gretest yron spit that I have.
1553. Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 30. They rosted also mans fleshe vpon spyttes.
1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. iv. 5. Least that thy Wiues with Spits, and Boyes with stones In puny Battell slay me.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 343. Fowl of game, In pastry built, or from the spit.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 107. It ends with poison in the cup, or with the spit in his guts.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, II. 131. A Spit he seiz’d, Just reeking from the fat Surloyn.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, IX. ix. ¶ 5. We have … wherewithal to keep the spit and the spigot in exercise.
1848. Lytton, Harold, II. i. The meats were not placed on the table, but served upon small spits.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, I. I. 25. Transfixed with spits, And roasted with nice care.
fig. 1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 413. Thrust through with a spit of reproch.
Comb. 1617. Minsheu, Ductor, A Spitter, a yong male Deere, that beginnes to haue his hornes grow vp sharpe spitwise.
b. To beat (etc.) … with the spit, to treat with unexpected harshness (following upon kindly usage or hospitality). Now only dial. (in transf. use).
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 72 b. Suche are not to be lyked that geue a man a shoulder of mutton, and breake his heade with the spitte when thei haue doen.
1584. Greene, Arbasto, Wks. (Grosart), III. 214. Thou art bidden to the feast by loue, and art beaten with the spit by beauty.
1674–. [see ROAST MEAT 2 c].
1686. Wood, Life (O.H.S.), III. 186. Din’d at the College. [note] ‘Gave me roast-meat and beat me with the spit.’
1690. W. Walker, Idiomat. Anglo-Lat., 43. To bid one to roast and beat him with the spit.
1876. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., 182/1. ‘Nevver invite a friend to a roast and then beat him with the spit,’ do not confer a favor and then make the obligation felt.
c. The contents of a spit. rare–1.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 50. They have Camell or Mutton cut in mammocks or small bits put vpon scuets … rosted in the fire, of this they sell three or foure spits for two pence.
† 2. a. A fin-spine of a fish. Obs.–1
c. 1205. Lay., 21329. He … bihaldeð hu ligeð i þan stræme stelene fisces;… Þer fleoteð heore spiten swulc hit spæren weoren.
† b. The point of a spear. Obs.
c. 1450. Cast. Persev., 1400, in Macro Plays. With spete of spere to þee I spynne; Goddis lawys to þee I lerne.
† 3. A straight horizontal stroke used as a mark in books; = OBELISK sb. 2. Obs.
1388. Wyclif, Esth. x. 3. Which chapitre we bi oure custom han bifor markid with a spite.
1583. [see OBELISK sb. 2].
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, 733. The booke is not corrected but rather corrupted by those asteriskes, and spits.
1627. Bp. Hall, Epist., II. v. 303. Either your stars or your spits shall be welcome to my margent.
4. † a. A slender or sharp-pointed rod. Obs.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 51. Merlyng Irenes, iiij, Spyttes of Iron, j, Canne hokes, ij.
1577. Harrison, England, 91 b/1. In sundry parts of Lancasshyre … the people go … into their Fennes and Marises with long spittes, which they dashe here and there … into the grounde.
b. Printing. An iron rod carrying the wheel by which the carriage of a hand-press is run out or in.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Printing, Under the Carriage is fix’d a small piece of Iron call’d the Spit, with a double Wheel in the middle.
1808. Stower, Printer’s Gram., 323. The axis, or spit, is a straight bar of iron,… about three inches longer than the whole breadth of the carriage.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 210. The handle [of the rounce] … was attached to a rod which crossed the platten; this rod was connected with the spit by means of machinery.
c. A thatching-peg. (Cf. BROACH sb. 5.)
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 122. These are fastened to the thatch, by staples, or spits, or broaches.
1901. N. & Q., 9th Ser. VIII. 178. The owner thought I meant the thatch-pegs, which held the thatch down, so he said, ‘Speets.’
d. A rod or skewer on which fish are strung and hung up to dry. (Cf. BROACH sb. 2 b.)
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 739. In the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, and in various places in the north of Scotland, haddocks are strung up on rods called spits.
1865. W. White, E. Eng., I. 146. These open partitions or racks are called ‘loves.’ They support the speets, which are sticks or laths, long enough to lie across from one to the other.
1883. R. Haldane, Workshop Rec., Ser. II. 443. Each fish (herring) is then threaded through the gills, on long thin spits holding 25 each.
e. A shuttle-pin.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2279.
5. A sword. (Chiefly contemptuous.)
1642. in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 316. So that the vapour is all frenchified, With out-stucke bomm, streight breech, and spit at side.
1681. Otway, Soldier’s Fort., II. i. I know five or six more of the same stamp; that never came abroad without terrible long Spits by their sides.
1733. Fielding, Don Quix. in Eng., II. v. Throw by your spit, sir; throw by your spit, and I don’t fear you. Ibid. (1749), Tom Jones, XV. v. Don’t think I am afraid of such a fellow as thee art! because [thou] hast got a spit there dangling at thy side.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T. Spit, a sword.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), I. XIX. 171. Out with your spit without delay! You’ve but to lunge and I will parry.
6. A small, low point or tongue of land, projecting into the water; a long narrow reef, shoal or sandbank extending from the shore.
1673. Hickeringill, G. Father Greybeard, 138. That sand with the two horns is the spits.
1764. J. Byron, Voy. (1773), I. 27. They drew up upon a stoney spit, which ran a good way into the sea.
1775. Romans, Florida, App. 72. Off of the Look-out on St. Rosa Island lies a spit, which you must avoid.
1802. Naval Chron., VIII. 211. Above the third buoy … lies a dangerous spit.
1859. in Merc. Marine Mag. (1860), VII. 110. The spit or horn … extends 11/2 miles.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. II. 154. Around yon narrow spit the waves are rippling.
b. Const. of (land, sand, etc.).
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1699), II. 461. It is a small spit of sand, just appearing above the Waters edge.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xxvii. 343. There are … several Spits of Sand jetting a pretty Way into the Sea from Points of Land.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, I. 132. The entrance from the sea … is bounded on the south side by a flat sandy spit of land, stretching into the ocean.
1863. Baring-Gould, Iceland, 112. A long spit of black rubble round which the lake curls.
1884. H. G. Hewlett, in 19th Cent., Aug., 325. The old town … stood on an insulated spit of shore.
7. Special Combs.: spit-boot, a boot or gaiter fastening by means of an iron spike (obs. dial.); † spit-file (see quot.); † spit-fish (cf. MSw. spitfisk, G. spiessfisch], the sea-pike; † spitnose, a species of Oxyrhynchus; spit-point, a sharp slender point; spit-pointed a., having a point like a spit; † spit-rack, a rack used for supporting a spit or spits; † spit-staff (?); † spit-turner, a device for turning a spit; † spit-wheel, a wheel serving to turn a spit.
1707. N. Blundell, Diary (1895), 55. A pair of *Spit-Boots.
1729. P. Walkden, Diary (1866), 43. Bought a pair of bellows and spit boot spurs.
1828. Carr, Craven Gloss., Spit-boots, a species of boot, now very rarely in use. They opened on the outside of the leg. When put on, they were secured at the bottom by a sharp iron spit or spike, which passed into an iron socket.
1851. Cumbld. Gloss., Spit-boots, heavy leather gaiters with iron fastenings.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xxii. (Roxb.), 272/1. A *Spit file … is an Iron rod thicker then a good wyer; it is bent a little from the handle to a square and then runs out streight.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart., lxxxii. There swimmes the Shad, the *Spit-fish, and the Spurling.
1611. Cotgr., Spet,… a slender, long,… blackish-backt sea-fish, called by some the Spit-fish, and by others … the sea-Pike.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 136. Lucius Marinus, the Sea-Pike, or Spitt-Fish. Ibid., 156. Oxyrincus Rondeletii,… the *Spitnose.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), III. 609. Leaves … ending in *spit-points. Ibid., 855. Leaves … narrow, *spit-pointed.
a. 1693. Urquhart’s Rabelais, III. xxxviii. 318. *Spitrack fool.
1828. Tytler, Hist. Scotland, I. 399. About a thousand spit racks, with meat on them.
1608. Wedderburne, Compt Bk. (S.H.S.), 113. A *speit staf and carvit wark thairon.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 770. Hic veruvertor, a *speteturnere.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 51. The Wood-work belonging to the Jack, is a Barrel, a *Spit-wheel and a Handing of the Winch.
1776. Sir J. Hawkins, Hist. Mus., I. 335. The dog who treads the spit-wheel.
