Sense: 1,4-5
| Date: | 1200-1300 |
| Origin: | SPIT1 |
| Origin: | Old English spitu |
1 [uncountable]HBH informal the watery liquid that is produced in your mouth [= saliva]
2 [countable] a long thin stick that you put through meat so that you can turn it when cooking it over a fire
3 [countable]SG a long narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea, into a river etc
4 to look exactly like someone else :
Sam is the dead spit of his dad.
be the (dead) spit of somebody
British English spoken
Sam is the dead spit of his dad.5 when something is thoroughly cleaned and polished :
It was Christmas, so Ellen gave the dining room a little extra spit and polish.
spit and polish
informal
It was Christmas, so Ellen gave the dining room a little extra spit and polish.