splutter

English
WOTD – 18 November 2022

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsplʌtə/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsplʌtɚ/, [-ɾɚ]
  • Rhymes: -ʌtə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: splut‧ter

Etymology 1

The noun is imitative.[1] The verb is derived from the noun.[2]

Noun

splutter (countable and uncountable, plural splutters)

  1. (countable) A forceful emission of something, especially in small drops or particles; a spluttering or sputtering.
    a splutter of water from a pipe
  2. (countable) A forceful choking or spitting sound.
  3. (figuratively)
    1. (countable) A noisy commotion.
      • 1711 February 12 (Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XV.”, in Thomas Sheridan and John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XIV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 346:
        But party carries every thing nowadays, and what a splutter have I heard about the wit of that saying, repeated with admiration about a hundred times in half an hour.
      • 1887, John Ruskin, “Rome”, in Præterita. Outlines of Scenes and Thoughts Perhaps Worthy of Memory in My Past Life, volume II, Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, page 61:
        [M]y ways of out-of-the-wayness were by no means quiet, but perpetually firing up under their feet in little splutters and spitfires of the most appalling heresy; […]
    2. (countable) A disagreement or dispute.
      Synonym: controversy
    3. (uncountable) Chaotic and forceful speaking, verbal exchange, etc.; (countable) an instance of this.
      Synonym: sputter
      a splutter of rage from the old man
Translations
noisy commotion — see commotion
disagreement or dispute — see disagreement,‎ dispute

Verb

splutter (third-person singular simple present splutters, present participle spluttering, simple past and past participle spluttered)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To forcefully emit (something), especially in small drops or particles; to sputter.
    2. To soil or sprinkle (someone or something) with a substance, often a liquid; to bespatter, to spatter.
    3. (figuratively)
      1. To direct angry words, criticism, insults, etc., at (someone or something).
      2. Sometimes followed by out: to speak (words) hurriedly, and confusedly or unclearly.
        Synonym: sputter
        • 1831 February 13, “The Dreamer. No. I.”, in The Monthly Repository and Review of Theology and General Literature, volume V (New Series), number LI, London: C[harles] Fox, […], published March 1831, →OCLC, page 180:
          Alas, for the expectations of man! His hopes are like the fruits of that melancholy shore, where death appears to live and life to die. He biteth, and spluttereth forth the unsavoury and abominable deception.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. Of a thing: to forcefully emit something, especially in small drops or particles.
      Synonym: sputter
      • 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “Mr. Weller the Elder Delivers Some Critical Sentiments Respecting Literary Composition; and, Assisted by His Son Samuel, Pays a Small Instalment of Retaliation to the Account of the Reverend Gentleman with the Red Nose”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 341:
        [H]e at once stepped into the stationer's shop, and requested to be served with a sheet of the best gilt-edged letter-paper, and a hard-nibbed pen which could be warranted not to splutter.
      • 1863, [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “A Stolen Honeymoon”, in John Marchmont’s Legacy. […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 90:
        You see if my pen doesn't splutter, Polly, the moment I address Richard Paulette.
      • 1867, Joseph Hatton, “Ringing the New Year in”, in Mrs. Alfred Gatty [i.e., Margaret Gatty], editor, Aunt Judy’s May-Day Volume. For Young People. […], London: Bell & Daldy, […], →OCLC, page 157:
        The log on the fire spluttered and sent a cloud of sparks up the chimney, and shadows of the bell-ringers started up on the walls and disappeared in the intricacies of the roof.
      • 1887 January, “Football in 185–”, in The Downside Review, volume VI, Yeovil, Somerset: […] Western Chronicle Company, published 1889, →OCLC, page 23:
        I grieve for lack of wit and store of words to tell the doings patly, for my pen halteth and spluttereth sadly; but I doubt if even a pen from a quill of the Raven could limn them suitably.
      • 1951, Lloyd L[ouis] Brown, chapter 15, in Richard Yarborough, editor, Iron City […] (The Northeastern Library of Black Literature), Boston, Mass.: Northeastern University Press, published 1994, →ISBN, section 1, page 198:
        The old-fashioned pen spluttered and scratched as he wrote.
      1. To spray droplets of saliva from the mouth while eating or speaking.
        Synonym: sputter
    2. Of a substance: to be emitted forcefully in small drops or particles.
    3. To make a sound or sounds of something forcefully emitting a substance in small drops or particles.
    4. Followed by out: to go out (as a flame) or stop functioning (as an engine or machine) with a spluttering action or sound (senses 2.1 or 2.3).
    5. (figuratively)
      1. To speak hurriedly, and confusedly or unclearly.
        Synonym: sputter
        • 1853, John Wynne, “The Advocate of Durango; or, The Avenging Spirit. A Tale of Mexico. A Romantic, Domestic Drama, in Four Acts.”, in Three Original Plays, […], London: Thomas Bosworth […], →OCLC, act II, scene iii, page 204:
          If thou splutterest so, thou wilt drop out thy teeth; that is, if they be thine, which I for one doubt!
        • 1881, Walter Besant, James Rice, “How Will Would Not Be Crossed”, in The Chaplain of the Fleet […], volume III, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, part II (The Queen of the Wells), pages 163–164:
          He was in such a rage that his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. He could not even swear. He could only splutter.
      2. To perform in an inconsistent manner to a substandard level.
        • 2011 January 5, Mark Ashenden, “Wolverhampton 1 – 0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎:
          Manchester City, Liverpool, Bolton and Manchester United come next for Wolves in the Premier League but [Mick] McCarthy's men will fear no one after beating Chelsea for the first time in 18 years, while [Carlo] Ancelotti has much to ponder as his players continue to splutter.
Conjugation
Conjugation of splutter
infinitive (to) splutter
present tense past tense
1st-person singular splutter spluttered
2nd-person singular splutter, splutterest† spluttered, splutteredst†
3rd-person singular splutters, spluttereth† spluttered
plural splutter
subjunctive splutter spluttered
imperative splutter —
participles spluttering spluttered

†Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms
Translations
to sprinkle or soil (someone or something) with a substance, often a liquid — see bespatter,‎ spatter

Etymology 2

A modification of God’s blood.[3]

Interjection

splutter

  1. (minced oath, obsolete) A minced oath expressing anger or wonder, usually attributed to Welsh people: 'sblood.

References
  1. “splutter, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2022; “splutter, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. “splutter, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “splutter, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. “† splutter, int.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2021.
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