1. To spit, or to emit
saliva from the
mouth in little,
scattered portions, as in rapid speaking.
2. To
utter words hastily and indistinctly; to
say so rapidly as to emit saliva. "They could neither of them
say their rage, and so
fell a
sputtering at one other,
like two roasting apples." (Congreve)
3. To
throw out anything, as few jets of steam, with a
noise like that made by one sputtering. "Like the
green tree . . . Sputtering in the flame." (Dryden)
Origin: From the
root of
spout or spit to eject from the mputh. Cf. Splutter.
Source: Websters Vocabulary