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Added 9 October 2026

sputter

/ˈspʌtɚ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sputter at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively.
he heard a spatter of gunfire
An utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage).

verb

Make an explosive sound.
sputtering engines
Cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed.
The solar wind protons must sputter away the surface atoms of the dust
Climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling.

Origin

Probably representing Middle English *sputren, *sputrien, a frequentative form of Middle English sputen (“to spout, vomit”), equivalent to spout + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian spüttern (“to inject, spray, splash”), West Frisian sputterje (“to sputter”), Dutch sputteren (“to sputter”), Low German sputtern, spruttern (“to sprinkle”), German sprudeln (“to spout, squirt”). Compare splutter.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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