sputter


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to sputter: sputter out

sputter

make popping or sizzling sounds; to eject particles of saliva or food from the mouth explosively and involuntarily; some of the same definitions as for splutter, such as to utter incoherently
Not to be confused with:
splutter – speak in a vehement or choking manner; utter rapidly or incoherently, spatter, as a liquid; noise or fuss; a blend of the words splash and sputter
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

sput·ter

(spŭt′ər)
v. sput·tered, sput·ter·ing, sput·ters
v.intr.
1. To spit out or spray particles of saliva or food from the mouth in noisy bursts.
2. To spit out words or sounds in an excited or confused manner.
3. To make sporadic spitting or popping sounds: The fire sputtered and died.
4. Physics To cause the atoms of a solid to be removed from the surface by bombardment with atoms in a discharge tube.
v.tr.
1. To eject in short bursts with spitting or popping sounds.
2. To utter in an excited or confused manner.
3. Physics To coat (a solid surface) with metal atoms by sputtering.
n.
1. The act or sound of sputtering.
2. Matter emitted in sputtering.
3. Excited or confused utterance.
[Probably of Low German origin; akin to Dutch sputteren.]
sput′ter·er n.
sput′ter·y adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sputter

(ˈspʌtə)
vb
1. another word for splutter 1, splutter 2, splutter 3
2. (General Physics) physics
a. to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which atoms of a solid are removed from its surface by the impact of high-energy ions, as in a discharge tube
b. to coat (a film of a metal) onto (a solid surface) by using this process
n
3. the process or noise of sputtering
4. incoherent stammering speech
5. something that is ejected while sputtering
[C16: from Dutch sputteren, of imitative origin]
ˈsputterer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sput•ter

(ˈspʌt ər)

v.i.
1. to make explosive popping or sizzling sounds.
2. to emit particles, sparks, etc., explosively.
3. to eject particles of saliva, food, etc., from the mouth, as when speaking angrily or excitedly.
4. to utter words explosively or incoherently, as when angry or flustered.
v.t.
5. to eject forcibly and in small particles, as if by spitting.
6. to utter explosively and incoherently.
n.
7. the act or sound of sputtering.
8. explosive, incoherent utterance.
[1590–1600; probably < Dutch sputteren (akin to spout, spit 1)]
sput′ter•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

sputter


Past participle: sputtered
Gerund: sputtering

Imperative
sputter
sputter
Present
I sputter
you sputter
he/she/it sputters
we sputter
you sputter
they sputter
Preterite
I sputtered
you sputtered
he/she/it sputtered
we sputtered
you sputtered
they sputtered
Present Continuous
I am sputtering
you are sputtering
he/she/it is sputtering
we are sputtering
you are sputtering
they are sputtering
Present Perfect
I have sputtered
you have sputtered
he/she/it has sputtered
we have sputtered
you have sputtered
they have sputtered
Past Continuous
I was sputtering
you were sputtering
he/she/it was sputtering
we were sputtering
you were sputtering
they were sputtering
Past Perfect
I had sputtered
you had sputtered
he/she/it had sputtered
we had sputtered
you had sputtered
they had sputtered
Future
I will sputter
you will sputter
he/she/it will sputter
we will sputter
you will sputter
they will sputter
Future Perfect
I will have sputtered
you will have sputtered
he/she/it will have sputtered
we will have sputtered
you will have sputtered
they will have sputtered
Future Continuous
I will be sputtering
you will be sputtering
he/she/it will be sputtering
we will be sputtering
you will be sputtering
they will be sputtering
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been sputtering
you have been sputtering
he/she/it has been sputtering
we have been sputtering
you have been sputtering
they have been sputtering
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been sputtering
you will have been sputtering
he/she/it will have been sputtering
we will have been sputtering
you will have been sputtering
they will have been sputtering
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been sputtering
you had been sputtering
he/she/it had been sputtering
we had been sputtering
you had been sputtering
they had been sputtering
Conditional
I would sputter
you would sputter
he/she/it would sputter
we would sputter
you would sputter
they would sputter
Past Conditional
I would have sputtered
you would have sputtered
he/she/it would have sputtered
we would have sputtered
you would have sputtered
they would have sputtered
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:sputter - the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively]sputter - the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire"
noise - sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound); "he enjoyed the street noises"; "they heard indistinct noises of people talking"; "during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels"
2. sputter - an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)
utterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Verb 1. sputter - make an explosive sound; "sputtering engines"
pop - make a sharp explosive noise; "The cork of the champagne bottle popped"
2. sputter - cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed; "The solar wind protons must sputter away the surface atoms of the dust"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
3. sputter - climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
climb - move with difficulty, by grasping
4. sputter - utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage
let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand"
5. sputter - spit up in an explosive manner
cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

sputter

verb
To make a series of short, sharp noises:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

sputter

[ˈspʌtər] vi
[person] (in anger, embarrassment) → bredouiller
[engine] → toussoter ; [candle] → crépiter
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

sputter

vi → zischen ; (in frying pan) → brutzeln ; (fat) → spritzen ; (engine) → stottern ; (in speech) → sich ereifern (→ about über +acc); he was sputtering with rage → er geiferte (vor Zorn); the candle sputtered out → die Kerze ging flackernd aus; to sputter to a halt (lit, fig) → stotternd zum Stillstand kommen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
In a twinkling the tree began to sputter and burn like a candle blown by the wind.
View in context
For many minutes he could hear the sputter of machinegun fire concentrated upon the spot he had just quit and smiled as he contemplated the waste of German ammunition.
A large tree spread above them, a lantern sputtered dimly upon the table, while a small fire burned upon the ground close at hand.
Further on there were two female neighbors at their windows, holding candles, which the fog caused to sputter.
View in context
He made a sign to me that the salt was not good to eat; and putting a little into his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate it, and would spit and sputter at it, washing his mouth with fresh water after it: on the other hand, I took some meat into my mouth without salt, and I pretended to spit and sputter for want of salt, as much as he had done at the salt; but it would not do; he would never care for salt with meat or in his broth; at least, not for a great while, and then but a very little.
View in context
Now, however, he was too ill to notice it--how the people in the car began to gasp and sputter, to put their handkerchiefs to their noses, and transfix him with furious glances.
View in context
With an oath he dropped it to the floor, where it sputtered for a moment and went out.
View in context
The little stove was roaring; it was red-hot, and the chocolate in the tin sizzled and sputtered. Edna went forward and opened the stove door, and Mademoiselle rising, took a letter from under the bust of Beethoven and handed it to Edna.
View in context
While they gasped and choked and sputtered and felt around wildly for that rogue of a beggar, he finished the job by picking up the cloak by its corners and shaking it vigorously in the faces of his suffering victims.
View in context
"Thank God I didn't." The large man sputtered visibly.
View in context
The hours struck clear in the cabin; the nosing bows slapped and scuffled with the seas; the fo'c'sle stovepipe hissed and sputtered as the spray caught it; and the boys slept on, while Disko, Long Jack, Tom Plait, and Uncle Salters, each in turn, stumped aft to look at the wheel, forward to see that the anchor held, or to veer out a little more cable against chafing, with a glance at the dim anchor-light between each round.
View in context
"Damn such a life, damn it!" he sputtered aimlessly.
View in context

Full browser ?