Spit v.²

Forms: Inf. 1 spittan, 3–4 spitten, 5 spyttyn; 4–6 spitte, spytte, spyt (5–6 spytt), 6– spit (6–7 spitt). Pa. t. α. 3–7 spitted (6 Sc. -it), 4–6 spytted. β. 4–6 spitte, spytte, 4– spit (4 spitt, spyt, 5 spytt); 6 spett(e, 6–7 spet; 6 spatt(e, 6– spat; 6–9 spate, 7 spot, 4, 9 dial., sput. Pa. pple. α. 1 ʓispitted, 4–6 spytted, 6–7 (9 dial.) spitted (6 Sc. -it). β. 6–7 spet (6 spette), 5– spit (6–7 spitte, 6 spytte), 9 spat, dial. sput. γ. 6 spetten, 7–8 (9 dial.) spitten, 9 dial. spatten, sputten. [Northern OE. spittan (also ʓespittan), = G. dial. spitzen, of imitative origin; cf. MSw. spytta, spotta (Sw. spotta), Norw. dial. spytta (sputta), Da. spytte, NFris. spütte, older G. (now dial.) spützen, also ON. and Icel. spýta (Norw. dial. spyte) and OE. spǽtan SPETE v.

  OE. instances are rare, the common words being spǽtan, spǽtlan, and spíwan. From the 15th cent. the conjugation has included forms properly belonging to the obsolete SPETE, together with new formations on the analogy of strong vbs. See also SPET v.]

  1.  trans. † 1. To eject saliva on (a person) as a sign of contempt. Obs.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Mark x. 34. Hia spittes hine & hia suingeð hine.

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., Luke xviii. 32. Swungen [he] bið & ʓispitted bið.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 290. Spit him amidde þe bearde to hoker & to schom, þet flikereð so mit þe.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 17. Þenne spit leccherie, to schome & to bismere, meidenhad o þe nebbe.

  2.  To eject from the mouth by the special effort involved in expelling saliva.

  To spit sixpences: see SIXPENCE 2 d.

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xxvii. 30. Þa spittende on him heor spaðl, ʓenoman þæt hreod & sloʓun his heafud.

a. 1225.  Juliana, 49. Hare ahne blod ich habbe ofte imaket ham to spitten & to speowen.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 24085. Þai sput on him þair spit.

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 1433, Hypsiphyle. Two bolys makyd al of bras That spittyn.

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 180. He strake hym opon þe breste, at he spytt blude with iij dayes.

1481.  Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 111. The wulf had so moche payne and anguyssh … that he spytte blood.

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXIII. (Percy Soc.), 166. With his thre hedes he spytte all his venum.

1590.  Pasquil’s Apol., I. B iij. Hath the Toade no poyson before he spits it?

1600.  Surflet, Countrie Farme, I. xii. 65. That cluttered blood which the sicke partie shall haue spet.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 148. A thirsty Train That … spit from their dry Chaps the gather’d Dust again.

1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 117, ¶ 7. Sir Roger told me, that old Moll had been often brought before him for making Children spit Pins.

1789.  Med. Comm., II. 297. He … spate a vast quantity of tough white froth.

1803.  Med. Jrnl., IX. 430. He … began to spit thick matter of a greenish colour.

1821.  Scott, Kenilw., xxiv. This master-fiend shall spit a few flashes of fire … on the spot, if it will do you pleasure.

1897.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., IV. 162. Recovery may ensue after the patient has been spitting muco-pus for weeks.

  fig.  a. 1568.  Ascham, Scholem., II. Wks. (1904), 239. Their whole knowledge … was tied onely to their tong & lips,… and therfore was sone spitte out of the mouth againe.

1608.  Shaks., Per., III. i. 8. Thou stormest venomously; Wilt thou spit all thyself?

1777.  Brand, Pop. Antiq., 101, note. Boys have a Custom (inter se) of spitting their Faith, or as they also call it here, their Saul (Soul), when required to make Asseverations in a Matter of Consequence.

  b.  With forth, out, up.

c. 1386.  [see c].

c. 1450.  St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6353. He wald þe penys oute haue spit, he moght noght opyn his mouth ȝit.

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXVII. (Percy Soc.), 192. Toward me he came,… Spyttyng out fyre.

1530.  Palsgr., 729. The adder dyd spytte forthe her venyme by and by.

1558.  Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr., 21 b. He tourned … vpon the beddes side, and spitte out a great parte of the matter.

1663.  Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., ix. As men do with bitter Pills which … if they chaw them, prove so distastful, that they are ready to spit them out again.

1745.  trans. Columella’s Husb., VIII. xvi. When he … had tasted of a pike … and had spitten it out, he followed the impudent action with a jest.

1779.  in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), IV. 258. Those rascals we have seen take so much snuff and spit it up again.

1842.  S. Lover, Handy Andy, xviii. 152. He … saw the trumpeter spitting out a mouthful of beer.

1898.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 55. Since then he had spat up thick phlegm.

  fig.  1598.  Chapman, Hero & Leander, III. Takes news as if it were too hot to eat, And spits it slavering forth for dog-fees meat.

1613.  Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. ii. 61. This makes … Tongues spit their duties out.

  c.  With various fig. objects (as venom, poison, fire, etc.) denoting the utterance or expression of malice, hatred, anger, or other violent feeling.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pard. T., Prol. 135. Thus spitte I out my venym vnder hewe Of hoolynesse, to semen hooly.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 20. Herein they … spitte oute the poyson of theyr hatred.

1583.  Babington, Commandm. (1590), 364. When hee woulde haue euen spit fire in Anthonies face, and galled him as greatly as hee could.

1621.  in Kempe, Losely MSS. (1836), 454. Y^e Spaniards, against whom they are apt … to spitt theyr spleens.

a. 1656.  Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 161. One spits his poyson upon the blessed Trinity.

1701.  Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, I. i. Let ’em spit their venom among themselves, and it hurts nobody.

1759.  Dilworth, Pope, 16. When the venom you spit falls short of your aim.

1863.  Holland, Lett. Joneses, vi. 98. There be women … who can scold or cry or howl or spit fire.

  refl.  1735.  Pope, Prol. Sat., 320. Or at the ear of Eve, familiar Toad, Half froth, half venom, [he] spits himself abroad, In puns, or politics, or tales, or lies.

  d.  With compl. in one’s face, teeth, etc. Chiefly in fig. use.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 97. Euer spyttynge thy offences in thy tethe.

1593.  Shaks., Rich. II., I. i. 194. My teeth shall teare The slauish motiue … And spit it … euen in Mowbrayes face.

1636.  Brathwait, Rom. Emp., 94. He bit off his tongue and spit it in her face.

a. 1711.  Ken, Urania, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 475. Sweet Poetry has suffer’d most, By Bards … Who in her beauteous Visage spit The Putrefaction of their Wit.

1781.  Cowper, Hope, 662. While bigotry … spits abhorrence in the Christian’s face.

  e.  In phrases denoting great or exact likeness or resemblance. (Cf. SPIT sb.² 3.)

  F. craché is similarly used.

1602.  Breton, Wonders Worth Hearing (1879), 8/1. Twoo girles,… the one as like an Owle, the other as like an Urchin, as if they had beene spitte out of the mouthes of them.

1664.  Cotton, Scarron., 106. Hee’s e’en as like thee, as th’adst spit him.

1690.  C. Nesse, Hist. O. & N. Test., I. 159. We are of our father the devil,… as like him as if spit out of his mouth.

1788.  Grose, Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 2), s.v., He is as like his father as if he was spit out of his mouth; said of a child much resembling his father.

1825–.  in Eng. Dial. Dict.

  3.  a. To emit, cast, throw, in a manner similar to the ejection of saliva.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., C. 338. Oure fader to þe fysch ferslych biddez, Þat he hym sput spakly vpon spare drye.

1595.  Shaks., John, II. 211. The Canons … ready mounted … to spit forth Their Iron indignation gainst your walles.

c. 1611.  Chapman, Iliad, IV. 452. The sea thrusts vp her waues;… she rores, And … spits euerie way her fome.

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. I. iii. Sulphur-cloud spitting streaks of fire?

1863.  Hawthorne, Our Old Home (1879), 94. The clouds now spat down a few spiteful drops upon us.

1911.  F. Magee, in N. Y. Times, 1 Nov., 1/7. Bullets came crashing through the cactus leaves, spitting up sand all around us, and one soldier dropped with a bullet through his arm.

  † b.  To cause to be expelled in spittle. Obs.

1608.  Topsell, Serpents, 45.

  c.  colloq. To leave (visiting-cards).

1782.  Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, 24 Dec. As I had the coach, I then spit cards at Mrs. Chapone’s, who has sent me an invitation.

  d.  To extrude or lay (eggs or spawn).

1847.  Halliwell, Spit, to lay eggs, said of insects.

1909.  Toilers of Deep, Sept., 225/1. The adult oyster ‘spits’ its many thousands of eggs into the water.

  4.  With out (or † forth): To utter in a proud, spiteful, plain or unreserved manner. Also without adv.: To speak (a language).

1595.  Shaks., John, II. i. 458. A large mouth indeede, That spits forth death, and mountaines.

1639.  S. Du Verger, trans. Camus’ Admir. Events, 310. Those students, who returning from the Universities, spit out at their mouth the superfluities of their memory.

1657.  J. Smith, Myst. Rhet., 80. Thus Michael spits out bitter reproaches against David.

1701.  Cibber, Love makes Man, II. i. Car. Does my younger Brother speak any Greek yet, Sancho? Sanc. No, Sir, but he spits French like a Magpy.

1876.  T. Hardy, Ethelberta (1890), 5. A good saying well spit out is a Christmas fire to my withered heart.

1904.  A. Griffiths, Fifty Yrs. Publ. Serv., 11. Now Sir, speak up…. Don’t be afraid, spit it out.

  5.  To put out by means of spitting.

1681.  Cotton, Wond. Peake, 62. The water breaks on Rocks in such a showr … as made us doubt ’Twould hazard spitting all our Candles out.

  II.  intr. 6. To eject saliva (at or on a person or thing) as a means of expressing hatred or contempt. Usually with preps., as against, at, in, on, etc.

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 67. Þa spittadun [hiæ] on his ondwliotu & mid hondum hine sloʓun.

a. 1240.  Wohunge, in O. E. Hom., I. 279. Hwen þat te sunefule men i þi neb spitted.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 16635. Þai spitted on his luueli face.

13[?].  K. Alis., 891 (Linc.). ‘Fy on þe!’ quoþ Nycolas: And spitte amydde his face.

c. 1400.  Laud Troy Bk., 18577. [She] tare here clothes & on hem spit.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 193. He spytted on þe cros, he dyspysed oure lady.

1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 231/2. They … spytten ayenste the fals ydollys and Statues.

1508.  Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 396. I spittit quhen I saw That super spendit euill spreit.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 56. Aristippus spitted on the evill favoured face of Simus.

1608–9.  Middleton, Widow, V. i. Spit at me, gentlemen, If ever I’d such a thought.

1630.  Lennard, trans. Charron’s Wisd., II. iv. (1670), 256. For to go against his own nature, is to tempt God, spit against the heavens.

1732.  Berkeley, Alciphr., V. § 13. A determined purpose to murder any man who shall but spit in his face.

1797.  Monthly Mag., XLVIII. 114. Equal to being tweaked by the nose, spitten upon and buffeted.

1825.  Scott, Talism., viii. ‘Out upon the hound!’ said Richard, spitting in contempt, by way of interjection.

1852.  Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., II. xxxviii. 243. ‘The more fool you!’ said Legree, spitting scornfully at him.

1891.  Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, li. They spit when they pass a temple; they turn away with horror from sacrifices.

  b.  In fig. use; freq. with in one’s face.

  (a)  1562.  Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 108. Think ȝe nocht that this maist barber ruidnes … wald be spittit at be a Iow or an Ethnik?

1579.  Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 327/2. Therefore they are so much the more to be accursed and to be spette at.

1612.  Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., II. iv. How shall not all the world spit at this holy cruelty.

1663.  Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xx. They will strain themselves to spit upon their sins.

1716.  M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 220. Simon Magus was betimes spit upon by the Primitive Bishop Irenæus.

1831.  Scott, Ct. Robt., xiii. I am a Christian man, spitting at, and bidding defiance to, Apollo, Bacchus, Comus, and all other heathen deities.

1851.  Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 288. If we turned and spat Upon our antecedents, we were vile.

1868.  Tennyson, Lucretius, 196. I hate, abbor, spit, sicken at him.

  (b)  1639.  S. Du Verger, trans. Camus’ Admir. Events, 286. You spit upon your owne face.

a. 1715.  Burnet, Own Time (1766), II. 143. He said, the petitioners for a Parliament spit in the King’s face.

1761.  Hume, Hist. Eng. (1806), IV. 637. They could get no other answer than that God had spitten in his face.

1810.  W. Wilson, Hist. Dissent. Ch., III. 86. Say he died spitting in the devil’s face, contemning him and his doctrine.

  7.  To eject saliva from the mouth; to expectorate.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 13544. Wit þis vn-to þe erth he spitt.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 40. But þo þat feynen hem folis … Spitten and spewen and speke foule wordes.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 469. Spyttyn, screo, spuo, exspuo.

a. 1450.  Myrc, Par. Pr., 890. Kepe þe welle þat þou ne spytte.

1530.  Palsgr., 728. It is a foule thyng at a sermonde to here people spytte and retche or rough as they do.

1599.  B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., III. i. I haue beene taking an ounce of tabacco hard by here,… and I am come to Spit priuate in Paules.

1609.  Holland, Amm. Marcell., 186. Hee was never seene abroad and out of his house to have snit his nose, or spit.

1674.  R. Godfrey, Inj. & Ab. Physic, 131. He almost continually spitted, and daily grew worse.

c. 1720.  Prior, Conversat., 67. Out of breath, he turn’d to spit.

1778.  C’tess Upper Ossory, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), III. 295. She spits and coughs much.

1841.  Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 68. When any of you has a bad dream, spit three times over your left shoulder.

1892.  T. Hardy, Well-Beloved, III. i. (1897), 224. Men drank, smoked, and spat in the inns.

  b.  With preps., as about, against, at, in, into, on, upon.

1382.  Wyclif, Ecclus. xxviii. 14. If thou shul spitten vpon it, it shal ben queynt.

14[?].  Rule Syon Monast., liii. in Collect. Topogr. (1834), I. 31. None schal … spyt up on the stayres … but yf they trede it oute forthewythe.

1526.  Tindale, John ix. 6. As sone as he had thus spoken, he spate on the grounde.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. i. 40. Spit in the hole man, and tune againe.

1605.  Daniel, Queen’s Arcadia, 125, Wks. (Grosart), III. 221. If she meet but with my dog, she … playes with his eares, Spits in his mouth.

1633.  G. Herbert, Temple, Unkindness, iii. My friend may spit upon my curious floore.

1668.  H. More, Div. Dial., II. xviii. (1713), 146. To spit in the Mouth of a Dog … is not indecorous for the Man, and grateful also to the Dog.

1714.  Addison, Lover, No. 39. Sitting at table, he spits full upon the servants who waited there.

1777.  Brand, Pop. Antiq., 101, note. In Combinations of the Colliers, &c. in the North, for the Purpose of raising their Wages, they are said to spit upon a Stone together, by Way of cementing their Confederacy.

1824.  Landor, Imag. Conv., Wks. 1853, I. 45/1. Nick gave unto him a shilling, having first spatten thereon, as he, according to his superstition, said, for luck.

1861.  Petherick, Egypt, etc. 424. Then rising and spitting in my face in token of amity, he said he was happy that I had sent for him.

1883.  Stevenson, Silverado Sq., 146. I could not continue to give him a salary for spitting on the floor.

  c.  To spit in or on one’s hands, in fig. use.

1577.  Grange, Gold. Aphrod., H j b. If I haue anoynted your palmes with hope, spitte on your handes and take good holde.

1590.  Greene, Neuer too late, Wks. (Grosart), VIII. 85. What Francesco? spit on thy hand, and lay holde on thy hart.

1834.  [S. Smith], Lett. J. Downing, xxvii. (1835), 185. Afore I had time to spit in my hands, the Gineral finished the war.

  d.  Of certain animals when angry.

1668.  Lassels, Voy. Italy (1698), II. 199. The Lion and the Leopard fighting together, spit angerly in one anothers Faces.

1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 314. A whole day is often passed … which is spent in growling, quarrelling, and spitting at each other.

1844.  Hood, Tale of Temper, 52. No household cat that ever lapp’d To swear and spit was half so apt.

1872.  ‘A. Merion,’ Odd Echoes Oxf., 3.

  † e.  Phr. (See quot., and cf. 7 b, quot. 1777.) Obs.

1777.  Brand, Pop. Antiq., 101, note. We have too a kind of popular Saying, when Persons are of the same Party, or agree in Sentiment, ‘they spit upon the same Stone.’

  8.  To sputter.

1611.  Cotgr., La lumiere petille, the candle sparkles, or spits.

1671.  Grew, Anat. Pl., Idea (1684), 17. So Fenil-Seeds, held in the flame of a Candle, will spit and spurtle.

1773.  Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., III. Zounds; how she fidgets and spits about like a catherine wheel.

1852.  Reade, Peg Woff., 3. The sausage began to ‘spit.’

1866.  Watts, Dict. Chem., IV. 326. If exposed to the air in the melted state it [sc. palladium] absorbs oxygen and spits like silver.

1871.  Archaeol., XLIII. 101. Vegner’s paper was bad, his ink worse, his pen ‘worser’ still, spitting strangely.

  9.  a. Of rain or snow: To fall in scattered drops or flakes. (Usually with it as subject.)

1567.  [see SPITTING ppl. a. 1].

1778.  [W. H. Marshall], Minutes Agric., Observ. 129. To sprinkle (or spit), to rain slow in largish drops.

1818.  Miss Ferrier, Marriage, vii. ‘And’—putting her hand out at the window—‘I think it’s spitting already.’

1836–7.  Dickens, Sk. Boz, Tales, vii. It had been ‘spitting’ with rain for the last half-hour.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. xxv. 189. The fine snow … was caught by the wind and spit bitterly against us.

1887.  J. Service, Life Dr. Duguid, 171. Feeling that it was spittin’ through the win’, I quickened my step.

  b.  To penetrate as if sent by spitting.

1850.  Blackw. Mag., May, 554/1. A bullet whizzed by my head, and spat into the opposite bank.

  10.  Spit and polish, the occupation of cleaning up or furbishing, as part of the work of a sailor or soldier.

1895.  Westm. Gaz., 13 Nov., 3/2. After all his energies had been expended on what in old days was termed ‘spit and polish,’ he took the cow-pen in hand.

1898.  United Service Mag., Dec., 277. To lessen the time spent in spit and polish to the detriment of real cavalry work.