From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishspitspit1 /spɪt/ ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle spat /spæt/ or spit American English, present participle spitting) 1 liquid from your mouth [intransitive]HBH to force a small amount of saliva (=the liquid in your mouth) out of your mouth 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]HBH 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 → be spitting4 say something (also spit out) [transitive]SAY to say something quickly in a very angry way ‘Shut up!’, spat Maria furiously.5 → spit it out6 small pieces [intransitive, transitive]SEND 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]HBA if a cat spits, it makes short angry sounds 8 → be within spitting distance (of something)9 → spit the dummy → spit up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
spit• He spat a bit as he spoke and Carrie dreaded the moment when she would have to shake hands and be spat at.• He spit a bone on to the floor and sent Goh to get another Tiger beer.• He spat a mouthful back into the cup.• The volcano began rumbling and spitting ash on July 3.• He and Meg are now spitting bile at one another through the Press.• I spat in my hand and gave Claude long, slipping strokes.• He was so offended by my cover that he spat on me.• He spat out enamel and blood.• "You're worthless!" Greg spat out.spit at/on/into• He spat a bit as he spoke and Carrie dreaded the moment when she would have to shake hands and be spat at.• Somebody spit at me.• Eli, stop spitting on the floor.• One of his gang'd spat on the floor.• She spat into the grass outside the privy.• If he had suggested this six months earlier, I would have spit at the ground.• She spit into the sink, then threw down her toothbrush.• A pedestrian spits on the window of a driver he thinks cut him off.• Bill was leaning on his cab, spitting at the wing mirror and half-heartedly polishing it with his sleeve.• Any moment now and she will spit on us, on life.spit something out• I tried a bite, but it was so bad, I spit it out.spitspit2 noun 1 [uncountable]HBH informal the watery liquid that is produced in your mouth SYN saliva2 [countable]DFC a long thin stick that you put through meat so that you can turn it when cooking it over a fire3 [countable]SG a long narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea, into a river etc4 → be the (dead) spit of somebody5 → spit and polishExamples from the Corpus
spit• Elizabeth and Anne contrived a spit for Felix's chickens and set them to roast.• He worked his way over to the window, opened it, and took a spit into the fresh biting coldness.• He freed a hand and wiped away the spit.• Those first learning to water start or carve gybe are best off in the flat water to windward by the spit.• Good food will be served from the spit.Origin spit1 Old English spittan spit2 1. (1200-1300) → SPIT12. Old English spitu 