noun

spit

spiht

noun

A thin rod used to skewer and rotate meat while it cooks over a fire.

"The whole pig turned slowly on a spit over the coals."

Saliva, especially when spat out.

"He wiped the spit from his chin."

A narrow strip of sand or land jutting out into water.

"Fishermen waded out along the sandy spit at low tide."

verb

To forcefully eject saliva from the mouth.

"He spat on the ground in disgust."

"Don't spit in public — it's rude and unhygienic."

To rain very lightly.

"It was only spitting outside, so we didn't bother with umbrellas."

Slang: to rap or perform lyrics skillfully.

"She can really spit — her verses are packed with wordplay."

How to Use Spit

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the rod meat is cooked on, saliva, or (informally) to eject saliva or perform rap lyrics.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "spite" (ill will) — they sound different but are easy to mistype.

Common pairings

spit on the ground spit and polish roast on a spit

Word Forms

spitted past tense, spit past tense, spat past tense, spitted past tense, spits plural, spits plural, spits plural, spits singular, spits singular, spits singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “spit” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The whole pig turned slowly on a _____ over the coals.

Etymology

The noun comes from Old English spitu, "rod for roasting meat," related to Dutch spit and German Spieß. The saliva-related senses come from a separate Old English root meaning to eject fluid from the mouth.

Rhymes for spit

pit pulpit armpit cockpit decrepit

See all rhymes for spit →