sputter

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Moist matter thrown out in small detached particles.
2. (countable, uncountable) Confused and hasty speech.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To emit saliva or spit from the mouth in small, scattered portions, as in rapid speaking.
2. (ambitransitive) To speak so rapidly as to emit saliva; to utter words hastily and indistinctly, with a spluttering sound, as in rage.
3. (ambitransitive) To throw out anything, as little jets of steam, with a noise like that made by one sputtering.
4. (intransitive) To cause surface atoms or electrons of a solid to be ejected by bombarding it with heavy atoms or ions.
5. (transitive) To coat the surface of an object by sputtering.

Synonyms

splutter

sizzle

spit

stammer

spatter

hiss

crackle

smolder

struggle

spit out

smoke

fizz

scramble

sputtering

falter

spattering

shin

stutter

splashes

well up

wheeze

yap

bubble

skin

rapid speech

crepitate

clamber

spitting

shinny

splatter

splattering

bustle

fuss

sibilate

spue

swosh

give off smoke

talk excitedly

ptyalise

spit up

boil

buzz

chat

crackling

crawl

drivel

drool

expectorate

frizzle

hissing

Translations

postillonner

plappern

bredouiller

rociado

cracher

chisporrotear

balbotejar

xerrar

balbucejar

ausplaudern

babbeln

haspeln

klatschen

👏

lästern

polvorització catòdica

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈspʌtɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *sputren

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: spüttern

Cognate with Western Frisian: sputterje

Cognate with Dutch: sputteren

Cognate with Low German: sputtern

Cognate with German: sprudeln

In summary

Probably representing Middle English *sputren, *sputrien, a frequentative form of Middle English sputen (“to spout, vomit”), equivalent to spout + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian spüttern (“to inject, spray, splash”), West Frisian sputterje (“to sputter”), Dutch sputteren (“to sputter”), Low German sputtern, spruttern (“to sprinkle”), German sprudeln (“to spout, squirt”). Compare splutter.