sputter

Etymology

Probably representing Middle English *sputren, *sputrien, a frequentative form of Middle English sputen (“to spout, vomit”), equivalent to spout + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian spüttern (“to inject, spray, splash”), West Frisian sputterje (“to sputter”), Dutch sputteren (“to sputter”), Low German sputtern, spruttern (“to sprinkle”), German sprudeln (“to spout, squirt”). Compare splutter.

noun

1. Moist matter thrown out in small detached particles.
2. Confused and hasty speech.

verb

1. (intransitive) To emit saliva or spit from the mouth in small, scattered portions, as in rapid speaking.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To speak so rapidly as to emit saliva; to utter words hastily and indistinctly, with a spluttering sound, as in rage.
   They could neither of them speak their rage, and so fell a sputtering at one another, like two roasting apples. 1700, William Congreve, The Way of the World
   In the midst of caresses, and without the least pretended incitement, to sputter out the basest and falsest accusations. 1730, Jonathan Swift, A Vindication of Lord Carteret
3. (transitive, intransitive) To throw out anything, as little jets of steam, with a noise like that made by one sputtering.
   Like the green wood … sputtering in the flame. 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy
4. (physics, intransitive) To cause surface atoms or electrons of a solid to be ejected by bombarding it with heavy atoms or ions.
5. (physics, transitive) To coat the surface of an object by sputtering.