sputter
pronunciation
How to pronounce sputter in British English:
UK [ˈspʌtə(r)]
How to pronounce sputter in American English:
US [ˈspʌtɚ]
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- Noun:
- the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively
- an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)
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- Verb:
- make an explosive sound
- cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed
- climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
- utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage
- spit up in an explosive manner
Word Origin
- sputter
- sputter: see spit
- sputter (v.)
- 1590s, "to spit with explosive sounds," cognate with Dutch sputteren, West Frisian sputterje, from Proto-Germanic *sput- (see spout (v.)). Related: Sputtered; sputtering. The noun is attested from 1670s.
Example
- 1. I watched him sputter and shake for a few moments then called 911 .
- 2. If banks go bang , life insurance firms sputter .
- 3. We heard his truck pull up in the parking lot and sputter when the engine was turned off .
- 4. As we call , sputter it away .
- 5. But gc is only one reason why your application may sputter and stall .