# spit feathers

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/spit-feathers
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To feel very thirsty.

## Examples

- I have been working in the garden and I am spitting feathers.
- After running five miles in the summer heat, I was spitting feathers and needed a drink immediately.
- The hikers had been walking through the desert for hours without water, and by the time they reached the oasis, they were all spitting feathers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.