From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishspluttersplut‧ter /ˈsplʌtə $ -ər/ verb 1 SPEAK A LANGUAGE[intransitive, transitive] to talk quickly in short confused phrases, especially because you are angry or surprised ‘But ... but ... I can’t believe ... how could you?’ she spluttered.splutter with Katie was spluttering with rage.2 CSHBH[intransitive] to make a series of short sharp noises Bill started coughing and spluttering. The engine spluttered into life. —splutter noun [countable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
splutter• Shaw is like saltwater in the face and Margaret was apt to splutter.• His car barely made it across the finish line, spluttering and choking, before the fuel supply dried up.• The clerk rose, stretched and looked around the deserted hall now darkening as the torches spluttered out.• Shells from our gunboats on the James came hoarsely spluttering over the heads of our troops.• McBride spluttered, yelled, got red in the face.• Ma Katz coughed and spluttered, yellow tears coursing down her face.coughing and spluttering• He scrambled frantically out, coughing and spluttering.• One couple who'd been there told the inquest they saw the plane flying low, coughing and spluttering.• The drone had become a hiccup - a variation on a theme of coughing and spluttering.• Then he wakes up coughing and spluttering.Origin splutter (1600-1700) Probably from sputter 