Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPIT, v.t.² [pret. and pp. spit. Spat is obsolete. Sax. spitan; Sw. spotta; Dun. spytter; G. spützen. The sense is to throw or drive. Class Bd.]

1. To eject from the mouth; to thrust out, as saliva or other matter from the mouth.
2. To eject or throw out with violence.

SPIT'AL, or SPIT'TEL, n.

Corrupted from hospital. “Rob not the spital,” or charitable foundation. – Johnson. [Vulgar and not in use.]

SPIT'BOX, n.

A vessel to receive discharges of spittle.

SPITCH'COCK, n.

An eel split and broiled. – Decker.

SPITCH'COCK, v.t.

To split an eel lengthwise and broil it. – King.

SPITE, n. [D. spyt, spite, vexation; Ir. spid. The Fr. has depit, Norm. despite. The It. dispetto, and Sp. despecho, seem to be from the L. despectus; but spite seems to be from a different root.]

Hatred; rancor; malice; malignity; malevolence. – Johnson. Spite, however, is not always synonymous with these words. It often denotes a less deliberate and fixed hatred than malice and malignity, and is often a sudden fit of ill will excited by temporary vexation. It is the effect of extreme irritation, and is accompanied with a desire of revenge, or at least a desire to vex the object of ill will. Be gone, ye critics, and restrain your spite; / Codrus writes on, and will for ever write. – Pope. In spite of, in opposition to all efforts; defiance or contempt of. Sometimes spite of is used without in, but not elegantly. It is often used without expressing any malignity of meaning. Whom God made use of to speak a word in season, and saved me in spite of the world, the devil and myself. – South. In spite of all applications, the patient grew worse every day. – Arbuthnot. To owe one a spite, to entertain a temporary hatred for something.

SPITE, v.t.

1. To be angry or vexed at.
2. To mischief; to vex; to treat maliciously; to thwart. – Shak.
3. To fill with spite or vexation; to offend; to vex. Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavored to abolish not only their learning but their language. [Not used.] – Temple.

SPIT-ED, pp.

Hated; vexed.

SPITE-FUL, a.

Filled with spite; having a desire to vex, annoy or injure; malignant; malicious. A wayward son, / Spiteful and wrathful. – Shak.

SPITE-FUL-LY, adv.

With a desire to vex, annoy or injure; malignantly; maliciously. – Swift.

SPITE-FUL-NESS, n.

The desire to vex, annoy or mischief, proceeding from irritation; malice; malignity. It looks more like spitefulness and ill nature, than a diligent search after truth. – Keil.

SPIT'FULL, n.

A spade-full.

SPIT'TED, pp. [from spit.]

1. Put upon a spit.
2. Shot out into length. – Bacon.

SPIT'TER, n.

1. One that puts meat on a spit.
2. One who ejects saliva from his mouth.
3. A young deer whose horns begin to shoot or become sharp; a brocket or pricket. – Encyc.

SPIT'TING, ppr.

1. Putting on a spit.
2. Ejecting saliva from the mouth.

SPIT'TLE, n.¹ [from spit.]

1. Saliva; the thick moist matter which is secreted by the salivary glands and ejected from the mouth.
2. A small sort of spade. [spaddle.]

SPIT'TLE, n.² [See SPITAL.]

SPIT'TLE, v.t.

To dig or stir with a small spade. [Local.]

SPIT'VEN-OM, n. [spit and venom.]

Poison ejected from the mouth. – Hooker.

SPLANCH-NOL'O-GY, n. [Gr. σπλαγχνα, bowels, and λογος, discourse.]

1. The doctrine of the viscera; or a treatise or description of the viscera. – Hooper.
2. The doctrine of diseases of the internal parts of the body. – Coxe.

SPLASH, n.

Water or water and dirt thrown upon any thing, or thrown from a puddle and the like.

SPLASH, v.i.

To strike and dash about water.

SPLASH, v.t. [formed on plash.]

To spatter with water, or with water and mud.

SPLASH'ED, pp.

Spattered with water or mud.

SPLASH'ING, ppr.

1. Spattering with water or mud.
2. Striking and dashing about water.