# spit

/ˈspɪt/ (US) · /spˈɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spit
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to expel saliva

verb · CEFR B1

to force saliva or other liquid out of your mouth.

For teachers: to eject saliva or other substances from the mouth with force. Ambitransitive — can be used with or without a direct object.

- He had to spit out the sour milk as soon as he tasted it.
- The athlete paused by the track to spit before beginning his final set of sprints.

### 2. to rain lightly

verb · CEFR B2 · British English

to rain very lightly.

For teachers: to rain or snow with very low intensity. Used in the impersonal 'it' construction.

- It started to spit just as we reached the park, so we put on our hoods.
- Although it was only spitting when they left the house, the clouds suggested a much heavier downpour was imminent.

### 4. to rap or tell the truth

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to perform rap music or to say something that is very true.

For teachers: to perform rap lyrics or, in modern slang, to state undeniable facts or truths.

- The rapper started to spit some amazing lyrics during the freestyle battle.
- The speaker was really spitting facts about the economy, and the audience couldn't help but agree with every point.

Teaching tip: In modern internet slang, 'spitting' is often used as a compliment for someone telling a hard truth.

### 5. saliva

noun · CEFR B1

the liquid that is produced in your mouth.

For teachers: saliva, especially when it has been ejected from the mouth.

- There was a small patch of spit on the pavement where the dog had been.
- The forensic team collected a sample of spit from the glass to check for DNA evidence.

### 6. cooking rod

noun · CEFR B2

a long metal rod used for holding and turning meat over a fire.

For teachers: a slender, pointed rod on which meat is impaled for roasting over an open flame or in a rotisserie.

- We roasted a whole chicken on a spit over the campfire.
- The chef carefully balanced the lamb on the spit to ensure it would rotate evenly over the glowing coals.

### 7. land feature

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a long, narrow piece of sand or land that sticks out into the sea.

For teachers: a narrow coastal landform that extends from a shore into a body of water, typically formed by longshore drift.

- The lighthouse stands at the very end of the sandy spit.
- The geological survey focused on how the spit had shifted over the last decade due to increased tidal erosion.

## Examples

- He wiped a bit of spit from his chin.
- The doctor asked the patient to provide a sample of spit for the medical test.
- The dry desert air caused his throat to tighten, making it nearly impossible to produce enough spit to swallow comfortably.

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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.