the verbal stem in combination, chiefly in the sense ‘that squirts, capable of squirting,’ as squirt clam, -fish, -gun, -ring; also † squirt-fire, a musket; squirt-swimming, swimming by propulsion produced by squirting of liquid; † squirt-wit (see quot. and SQUIRT v. 4 c).
Also squirt-can, -oilcan, in recent use.
1887. Goode, Fisheries U. S., II. 581. Mya arenaria.… In Long Island Sound and at New York it is most spoken of as the ‘long clam’ and *‘squirt clam.’
1678. Butler, Hud., III. ii. 1169. One single Red-Coat Sentinel … with his *Squirt-fire, could disperse Whole Troops.
1860. Wraxall, Life in Sea, v. 110. The Javanese *Squirt-fish (Chætodon rostratus) catches its prey in a similar fashion.
1803. T. G. Fessenden, Poet. Petit. agst. Tractorising Trumpery, 187.
| And then with glyster-pipe and *squirt-gun, | |
| There will be monstrous deal of hurt done! |
1878. Scribner’s Mag., Nov., 76/2. Joe Triford, who made squirt-guns of the hollow metal pen-handles which were in vogue in those days.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring, 494. In the Waterton Collection is a bronze *squirt-ring.
1861. P. P. Carpenter, in Rep. Smithsonian Instit. 1860, 278. The *squirt-swimming of the Cuttles.
1632. Hausted, Rival Friends, Pref. A iij b. These *squirt-wits, who are able onely to bring forth a paper of verses in a yeere.
