Now dial. [Imitative (cf. SQUIT v.), or alteration of SKITTER v.1]

1

  1.  trans. and intr. To squirt; to spatter, splutter.

2

1596.  Nashe, Saffron Walden, 102. Inck-squittring and printing against me.

3

1809.  Batchelor, Anal. Eng. Lang., 144. Skwitter, scatter, or sputter.

4

1828–.  in dial. glossaries (Yks. and Som.).

5

1897.  D’Esterre-Keeling, Return to Nature, viii. Then he said, looking at the squirt, ‘This squittered.’ ‘You didn’t make it squitter, did you?’

6

  2.  intr. To void thin excrement.

7

1611.  Florio, Squaccarare, to squatter, to squirt or lash it out behind after a purgation; to squitter.

8

1671.  Skinner, To squitter, forire.

9

1719.  D’Urfey, Pills, III. 313. And here the Mob make ’em squitter and tremble.

10

1719.  Boyer, Dict. Royal, I. Foirer,… to squitter.

11

1886–.  in dial. glossaries (Som., Devon, Derby).

12

  Hence Squitterer, Squittering vbl. sb. In quot. 1902 as imitative of a sound.

13

1611.  Florio, Squacchera, a squattring soft turde, a squittring.

14

1737.  Ozell, Rabelais, I. 255, note. The laxative Quality of the White Grape, called for that very Reason Foirard (Squitterer).

15

1902.  Sir H. Johnston, Uganda, I. i. 16. Hissings and squitterings and splashings … of those [birds] who are starting on flight.

16