spit

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(spĭt) pronunciation
n.
  1. Saliva, especially when expectorated; spittle.
  2. The act of expectorating.
  3. Something, such as the frothy secretion of spittle bugs, that resembles spit.
  4. A brief, scattered rainfall or snowfall.
  5. Informal. The perfect likeness: He's the spit and image of his father.

v., spat (spăt), or spit, spit·ting, spits.

v.tr.
  1. To eject from the mouth: spat out the grape seeds.
  2. To eject as if from the mouth: a fire spitting sparks.
  3. To emit suddenly and forcefully: spat out an insult.
v.intr.
  1. To eject matter from the mouth; expectorate.
  2. To express contempt or animosity by or as if by ejecting matter from the mouth.
  3. To make a hissing or sputtering noise.
  4. To rain or snow in light, scattered drops or flakes.
phrasal verb:

spit up

  1. To vomit.

[Middle English, from spitten, to spit, from Old English spittan, ultimately of imitative origin.]


spit2 (spĭt) pronunciation
n.
  1. A slender, pointed rod on which meat is impaled for broiling.
  2. A narrow point of land extending into a body of water.
tr.v., spit·ted, spit·ting, spits.
To impale on or as if on a spit.

[Middle English, from Old English spitu.]


Thin metal bar on which meat, poultry, or game is roasted in front of an open fire, and rotated during cooking; now also inside an oven or grill.


v

Definition: eject saliva or substance
Antonyms: swallow

n. a narrow point of land projecting into the sea: a narrow spit of land shelters the bay.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

A ridge of sand running away from the coast, usually with a curved seaward end. Spits grow in the prevailing direction of longshore drift. Their ends are curved by the action of waves coming from different directions.


[De]

Originally a ‘spade-depth of earth’ but in modern archaeological excavation the term is applied to a defined thickness of deposit (typically between 1cm and 10 cm) that is removed as a single operation. See also spit excavation.


A spadeful of soil; the depth of soil equal to the length of a spade's blade.

sign description: The fist begins at the mouth and moves outward as the index finger is extended.




spit
noun   unsolicited commerical communications received on a telephone linked to the internet [an acronym of spam over internet telephony]
A new plague of unwanted messages threatens internet users, according to a US company. Spam and spim - spam by instant messenger - are about to be joined by 'spit' - spam over internet telephony. Qovia, based in Frederick, Maryland, have recently filed two patent applications for technology to thwart spit. Internet telephony involves making phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines. Also known as voice-over IP (VoIP), it is rapidly rising in popularity thanks to the fact that internet connections are becoming faster, and because it is cheap - it avoids the taxes levied on landline calls (New Scientist)

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categories related to 'spit'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to spit, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Spit.
Saint-Cloud soft-paste porcelain spitting bowl, "Famille verte", 1730-1740
A more prosaic polychromed toleware spitoon of the late 19th or early 20th century
Advisory on the wall of a building in New Orleans

Spitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is currently considered rude and a social taboo in many parts of the world including the West, while in some other parts of the world it is considered more socially acceptable. It is possible to transmit infectious diseases in this way, including tuberculosis, influenza, and the common cold.

Spitting upon another person, especially onto the face, is a universal sign of anger, hatred, disrespect or contempt.[citation needed] It can represent a "symbolical regurgitation"[clarification needed] or an act of intentional contamination.

Contents

In Western Europe

Social attitudes towards spitting have changed greatly in Western Europe since the Middle Ages. Then, frequent spitting was part of everyday life, and at all levels of society it was thought ill-mannered to suck back saliva to avoid spitting. By the early 1700s, spitting had become seen as something which should be concealed, and by 1859 many viewed spitting on the floor or street as vulgar, especially in mixed company. Spittoons were used openly during the 19th century to provide an acceptable outlet for spitters. Spittoons became far less common after the influenza epidemic of 1918, and their use has since virtually disappeared, though each justice of the Supreme Court of the United States continues to be provided with a personal cuspidor.[1]

Competitions

There are some places, for example in Cieza, Spain,[2] where spitting is a competitive sport, with or without a projectile in the mouth. For example, there is a Guinness World Record for cherry pit spitting and cricket spitting, and there are world championships in Kudu dung spitting.

Gleeking

Gleeking involves the mouth, tongue, and submandibular gland (#2 in diagram)

Gleeking (also gleeting, geeking, gleeping, glarfing, glitting, gleaking, glicking, glything, glanding, geezing, yanging, cobra spitting) is the projection of saliva from the submandibular gland upon compression by the tongue.[3]

In general, gleeking occurs when an accumulation of saliva in the submandibular gland is propelled out in a stream when the gland is compressed by the tongue. The stream of saliva is released in the general direction of the front of the mouth. If the mouth is open the jet may project several feet. Gleeking is more likely when the salivary gland has been recently stimulated, but even a residual amount of saliva in the gland may be released by gleeking.

Gleeking may occur spontaneously due to accidental tongue pressure on the sublingual gland while talking, eating, yawning, or cleaning the teeth. Gleeking can also be induced, for instance, by pressing the underside of the tongue against the palate, then pushing the tongue forward while simultaneously closing the lower jaw and moving it slightly forward; or by yawning deeply and pressing the tongue against the palate. Practice is usually required to induce gleeking consistently, and induction is more likely to be successful under conditions of salivary stimulation.

Spitting as a protection against evil

In North India and Pakistan, it is customary for mothers to lightly spit at their children (usually to the side of the children rather than directly at them) to imply a sense of disparagement and imperfection that protects them from evil eye (or nazar).[4] Excessive admiration, even from well-meaning people, is believed to attract the evil eye, so this is believed to protect children from nazar that could be caused by their own mothers' "excessive" love of them.[4] Sometimes, this is also done with brides and others by their loved ones to protect them from nazar. Shopkeepers in the region will sometimes make a spitting gesture on the cash proceeds from the first sale of the day (called bohni), which is a custom believed to ward-off nazar from the business.[5]

Such a habit also exists in some Eastern European countries like Romania, and Moldova, although it is no longer widely practiced. People would gently spit in the face of younger people (often younger relatives such as grandchildren or nephews) they admire in order to avoid deochi[6], an involuntary curse on the individual being admired or "strangely looked upon",[6] which is claimed to be the cause of bad fortune and sometimes malaise or various illnesses.[7] This practice sometimes extends to spitting living plants and animals so as to protect them from sudden death or diseases, and spells which are claimed to break the curse of deochi exist.[7]

In other animals

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ Joan Biskupic (2007-03-19). "Supreme Court holds to tradition". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-19-court-rituals_N.htm. 
  2. ^ blog.hotelclub.com
  3. ^ Gleek at the Double-Tongued Dictionary
  4. ^ a b John Abbott, Indian ritual and belief: the keys of power, Usha, 1984, http://books.google.com/books?id=zkIvAAAAYAAJ, "... A woman spits on a child to avert from it her own evil-eye ..." 
  5. ^ S.W. Fallon (1879), A new Hindustani-English dictionary: with illustrations from Hindustani literature and folk-lore, Medical Hall Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=mxsYAAAAYAAJ, "... bohni ... the first money received during the day, or the first ready-money sale ... no credit being given as a rule for the article first sold ... many superstitious people will spit on ... bohni thoni, rad bala ..." 
  6. ^ a b "Ptiu să nu te deochi" - an article about spitting against "deochi" in a Romanian newspaper
  7. ^ a b Revista de Superstitii si Obiceiuri Populare | Deochiul - superstitie sau adevar? (Deochi - superstition or truth?)

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. intr. - spytte, regne let, sprutte
v. tr. - spytte, udspytte, sætte ild til, sætte på spid, spidde
n. - spyt, spid, landtunge, spadestik

idioms:

  • spit and polish    pudsning
  • spit chips    pudsning, pudsearbejde, pinlig orden og renlighed
  • spit it out    spyt ud, ud med sproget
  • spit out    spyt ud, ud med sproget
  • spitting distance    spytteafstand
  • spitting image    det udtrykte billede, som snydt ud af næsen på
  • the (very) spit of    som snydt ud af næsen på

2.
n. - spid
v. tr. - spidde, sætte på spid

3.
n. - spadestik

Nederlands (Dutch)
spugen, uitspuwen, blazen (kat), aan het spit rijgen, spuug, (braad)spit, spies, landtong, evenbeeld, motregen

Français (French)
1.
v. intr. - (lit) cracher, (fig) cracher, écumer (de), proférer (en direction de), grésiller, crépiter
v. tr. - (lit) cracher, (fig) cracher (de la lave), projeter (de l'huile), proférer (en direction de)
n. - salive, crachat, (Géol) flèche

idioms:

  • spit and polish    huile de coude
  • spit chips    être en colère
  • spit it out    crache le morceau (excl)
  • spit out    (lit) cracher, (fig) proférer
  • spit up    cracher, (US) vomir (bébé)
  • spitting image    (être) le portrait craché de
  • the spit of    le portrait tout craché de
  • the very spit of    le portrait tout craché de
  • within spitting distance    (être) à deux pas de

2.
n. - (Culin) broche, tournebroche
v. tr. - embrocher

3.
n. - (GB) fer de profondeur

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - fauchen, sprühen, spucken
n. - Spucke

idioms:

  • spit and polish    Putzen und Reinigen
  • spit chips    sich ärgern
  • spit it out    spuck es aus
  • spit out    ausspucken
  • spit up    kotzen
  • spitting image    Ebenbild
  • the spit of    jmd. ist ganz die/seine Mutter, der/sein Vater
  • the very spit of    Ebenbild von
  • within spitting distance    sehr kurze Entfernung

2.
n. - Spieß
v. - aufspießen

3.
n. - Spatentiefe

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - φτύνω, (για κινητήρες) ρετάρω, σουβλίζω, διατρυπώ
n. - φτύσιμο, σάλιο, (βάθος όσο μια) φτυαριά, ψιχάλισμα, σουβλί, σούβλα, (γεωγρ.) γλώσσα γης

idioms:

  • spit and polish    (στρατ.) τέλειο καθάρισμα και γυάλισμα, τέλειο συγύρισμα
  • spit chips    αφρίζω από θυμό
  • spit it out    (καθομ.) φανερώνω, αποκαλύπτω
  • spit out    λέω, ξεστομίζω
  • spitting distance    μικρή απόσταση, ένα βήμα
  • spitting image    φτυστός
  • the (very) spit of    φτυστός

Italiano (Italian)
soffiare, sputare, lingua di terra, sputo, ritratto, spiedo

idioms:

  • spit and polish    pulizia di fino
  • spit chips    infuriarsi
  • spit it out    sputa il rospo
  • spit out    sputare
  • spitting distance    a portata di mano
  • spitting image    copia sputata
  • the (very) spit of    il ritratto sputato di

Português (Portuguese)
v. - cuspir, espetar, esguichar, chuviscar
n. - saliva (f), espeto (m), península (f)

idioms:

  • spit and polish    zelo excessivo no cuidado com a aparência
  • spit chips    crepitar do fogo
  • spit it out    desembucha! (gír.)
  • spit out    bradar
  • spitting distance    muito perto
  • spitting image    imagem muito parecida
  • the (very) spit of    a cara de

Русский (Russian)
плевать, плеваться, наплевательски относиться, моросить, высказывать, фыркать (о животном), сыпать искрами, насаживать на вертел, прокалывать, слюна, плевок, мелкий дождик, точная копия, вертел, зонд, длинная отмель

idioms:

  • spit and polish    поддержание внешнего воинского вида, наведение порядка для показухи
  • spit chips    испытывать острую жажду, чувствовать крайнее раздражение
  • spit it out    выкладывать, говорить начистоту
  • spit out    выплевывать, высказать
  • spitting distance    очень близко
  • spitting image    вылитый портрет, разительное сходство
  • the (very) spit of    (он) вылитый (отец)

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. intr. - escupir, llover o nevar a gotas o copos esparcidos, hacer un ruido como el de escupir, chisporrotear
v. tr. - escupir, echar, arrojar, espetar, empalar, expectorar, esputar, despedir
n. - saliva, escupitajo, esputo

idioms:

  • spit and polish    limpieza, acicaladura, material de limpieza, preocupación exagerada por la limpieza
  • spit chips    sentir muchísima sed
  • spit it out    ¡suéltalo!, ¡desembucha!
  • spit out    escupir
  • spit up    expectorar
  • spitting image    el vivo retrato
  • the spit of    el calco de, el vivo retrato de
  • the very spit of    el calco exacto de, el vivo retrato de
  • within spitting distance    muy cerca, una distancia muy corta

2.
n. - brocheta
v. tr. - ensartar

3.
n. - lengua de tierra, banco de arena

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - spotta, fräsa, stänka, småregna, snöa lätt, sprätta
n. - spott, spottning, regnstänk, spadtag

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 唾液, 口水, 微雨, 一模一样, 肖像, 小雪, 吐, 喷, 口出, 点燃, 吐唾沫, 唾弃, 吐痰

idioms:

  • spit and polish    擦洗打扫
  • spit chips    呕吐
  • spit it out    说出
  • spit out    吐出
  • spitting distance    很近
  • spitting image    简直一模一样的人
  • the (very) spit of    很像

2. 烤肉铁叉, 炙叉, 沙嘴, 岬, 狭长的暗礁, 把...串在炙叉上, 用炙叉叉住, 捅, 戳, 刺

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 烤肉鐵叉, 炙叉, 沙嘴, 岬, 狹長的暗礁
v. tr. - 把...串在炙叉上, 用炙叉叉住, 捅, 戳, 刺

2.
n. - 唾液, 口水, 微雨, 一模一樣, 肖像, 小雪
v. tr. - 吐, 噴, 口出, 點燃
v. intr. - 吐唾沫, 唾棄, 吐痰

idioms:

  • spit and polish    擦洗打掃
  • spit chips    嘔吐
  • spit it out    說出
  • spit out    吐出
  • spitting distance    很近
  • spitting image    簡直一模一樣的人
  • the (very) spit of    很像

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. intr. - 침을 뱉다, 투덜대다, 으르렁 거리다
v. tr. - 토하다, 내뱉듯이 말하다, 불을 붙이다
n. - 침, 꼭 닮은 것, (성난 고양이의) 소리

idioms:

  • spit it out    내뱉듯이 말하다, 서슴지 않고 말해 버리다, 나쁜 짓을 자백하다
  • spit out    토해내다
  • the (very) spit of    ~을 영락 없이 닮다, ~을 빼쏘다

2.
n. - 쇠꼬챙이, 갑, 모래톱
v. tr. - (고기를) 구이용 꼬치에 꿰다, 막대기에 꿰다, (칼, 꼬챙이 따위로) 찌르다

3.
n. - 가래날 만큼의 깊이, 한 삽

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 吐く, つばを吐く, 吐き出すように言う, 発射する, パチパチいう, フーッという, ぱらぱらと降る, 焼きぐしに刺す, 突き刺す, ぱらぱら降る
n. - 唾, くし, 砂州

idioms:

  • spit and polish    みがき仕事, みがきたて
  • spit chips    猛烈におこる
  • spit it out    吐き出すように言う, 残らず言ってしまう
  • spit out    吐き出す, ほざく
  • the (very) spit of    うり二つの, と生き写しである

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) بصق (الاسم) بصاق, سيخ للشوي, لسان ممتد في البحر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮ירק, פלט, הטיח קללות, התיז (שמן טיגון)‬
v. tr. - ‮השמיע קול-יריקה, טפטף, רעף‬
n. - ‮לשון-יבשה, רוק, יריקה‬
n. - ‮שפוד, דמיון, זהות‬
v. tr. - ‮שיפד, שפד, דקר‬
n. - ‮עומק-האת, חפירת כף-את‬


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