Now dial. [Alteration of SPETE v., after pa. t. and pa. pple. spet(te.] To spit, in various senses; to expectorate. (Freq. c. 1550–c. 1630.)
a. intr.
c. 1421. 26 Pol. Poems, 91. She spettes on me, and doþ nie fyȝe.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 147. A certain saucy … young spryngall … spetted even in the veraye face of hym.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XII. xviii. (1886), 219. Spet into the shoo of your right foote.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 42. Their sumptuous Churches (in which it is a great trespasse so much as to spet).
1655. Culpepper, etc. Riverius, VI. i. 130. They who have the Tooth-ach, do continually spet.
1867. H. J. Daniel, Muse in Motley, 43. He wud spet, Iss, spetty like a toad.
1881–. in southern dial. glossaries.
fig. 1621. Bp. Hall, Heaven upon Earth, § 25. He that sits in heauen … bids his winds spet sometimes in thy face.
b. trans. Also const. in, out, up. Freq. fig.
1532. More, Confut. Barnes, Wks. 736/1. All hys deuelyshe lies which he spetteth and speweth oute vpon honest men.
1573. Baret, Alv., s.v., To spette out his poyson: to speake the worste that he can.
1598. Marston, Pygmal., Sat., ii. 152. Spett in thy poyson theyr fair acts among.
1634. Milton, Comus, 132. When the Dragon woom Of Stygian darknes spets her thickest gloom.
1639. O. Wood, Alph. Bk. Secrets, 87. [Let him] spet from him the rhewme in a Bason as often as he needeth. Ibid., 115. Then spet it forth. Ibid., 167. Spet out the rhewme as it comes.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 148. A thirsty Train That … spet from their dry Chaps the gather’d dust again.
1895. ‘Rosemary,’ Under the Chilterns, ii. 55. Don’t tech it!—that ull spet pison if you do.
Hence Spetter; Spetting vbl. sb.
c. 1460. Vrbanitatis, 19, in Babees Bk. Fro spettyng & snetyng kepe þe also.
1548. Elyot, Excreatio, a spettyng out.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Cracheur, a spetter.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 550. Those which are molested with corrupt and bloody spettings with retchings.
1648. Hexham, II. Een Spouwer, a Spetter, or a Spuer.
1655. Culpepper, etc. Riverius, VII. vi. 164. Usually the word Hæmoptysis doth signifie al manner of Spetting of blood.
Spet, obs. f. SPIT sb.1; obs. or dial. pa. t. SPIT v.2
