sputter

sput·ter  (sptr)

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.

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[Probably of Low German origin; akin to Dutch sputteren.]

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sputter·er n.

sputter·y adj.

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sputter

Verb, n

same as splutter [Dutch sputteren, imitative]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	sputter - the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire" spatter, spattering, splatter, splattering, splutter, sputtering 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) splutter 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 shin, shinny, skin, clamber, scramble, struggle climb - move with difficulty, by grasping
	4.	sputter - utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage splutter 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 spit out, splutter cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth