- spit (v.)
- "expel saliva," O.E. spittan (Anglian), spætan (W.Saxon), from PIE *sp(y)eu-, of imitative origin (see spew). Not the usual O.E. word for this; spætlan (see spittle) and spiwan (see spew) are more common. Meaning "to eject saliva (at someone or something) as a gesture of contempt" is in O.E. The noun is attested from c.1300. Meaning "the very likeness" is attested from 1602 (e.g. spitting image, attested from 1901); cf. Fr. craché in same sense. Military phrase spit and polish first recorded 1895. Spitball is from 1846 in the schoolboy sense, 1905 in the baseball sense.
- spit (n.)
- "sharp-pointed rod on which meat is roasted," O.E. spitu, from P.Gmc. *spituz (cf. M.Du. spit, Swed. spett, O.H.G. spiz, Ger. Spieß "spit," Ger. spitz "pointed"), from PIE *spei- "sharp point" (see spike (n.1)). This is also the source of the word meaning "sandy point" (1670s). O.Fr. espois, Sp. espeto "spit" are Gmc. loan-words. The verb meaning "to put on a spit" is recorded from c.1200.