Link Centre Dictionary

sputum

spu·tum

UK/ˈspjutəm/ US/ˈspjutʌm/ uncommon

noun

1.

expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages; in ancient and medieval physiology it was believed to cause sluggishness

Synonyms

Origin

From New Latin, from Latin sputum (“that which is spit out, spittle”), from spuere (“to spit”).

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.