sputtering

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.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sputtering - the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire" spatter, spattering, splatter, splattering, splutter, sputter 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"