v. obs. Forms: Inf. 1 spætan, 3 speten, 4–5 spete. Pa. t. 1 spætte, 2–5 spette (4 spetide); 3–4 spatte, 4 spat. [OE. spǽtan, f. the stem *spāt-: cf. SPATTLE sb.1 and v.1 The inf. and pres. forms disappeared in the 15th cent., and the pa. t. and pa. pple. came to be associated with SPIT v.1] To spit; to expectorate: a. intr.

1

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Mark x. 34. Hi him on spætað [Hatton spæteð]. Ibid., John ix. 6. Þa spætte [Hatton spette] he on þa eorþan.

2

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 240. Þonne spet heo & schekeð þet heaued.

3

a. 1250.  Owl & Night., 39. Me luste bet speten þane singe Of þine fule howelynge.

4

c. 1275.  Passion our Lord, 272, in O. E. Misc. Þe Gywes … Blyndfellede and spatten him on.

5

c. 1300.  Leben Jesu (Horstm. 1873), 29. He … spatte a luyte on is fingur.

6

13[?].  K. Alis., 979. Tho thou spettest in my visage.

7

1382.  Wyclif, Mark vii. 33. He … spetinge towchide his tunge.

8

14[?].  in Wr.-Wülcker, 610. Screo, to spete.

9

  b.  trans.

10

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 82. Þe þet swuch fulðe speteð ut [etc.].

11

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxxv. (Bodl. MS.). As it fareþ in ham þat spetynne bloode and quyture.

12

a. 1400.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), V. x. 101. He smote hym in the brest that he spette blood many dayes after.

13

  Hence † Speting vbl. sb. Obs.

14

1388.  Wyclif, Lev. xv. 8. If sich a man castith out spetyng on hym.

15

a. 1400.  Stockholm Med. MS., i. 302, in Anglia, XVIII. 302. It schal drywyn owte all þe peyne With-owte gret spetynge or oþer peyne.

16


  Spete, obs. form of SPIT sb.1 and v.2

17