Spit
/spɪt/noun
To eject saliva or other matter from the mouth; also a narrow pointed rod for roasting meat.
Did you know?The English word is ancient, but the roasting-meat sense comes from a separate Old English word, showing how one tiny sound can split into two very different lives.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*spītaną
“to spit, eject saliva”
Old English
OE
spittan
“to spit”
Old English
OE
spitu
“a spit, roasting rod”
Middle English
ME
spitten
“to spit”
Modern English
English
spit
“to eject saliva; a pointed roasting rod”