Scum vs Spit - What's the difference?
scum | spit |
(uncountable) A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
(uncountable) A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds
The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.
(uncountable, slang, chiefly US) semen
(countable, derogatory, slang) A reprehensible person or persons.
(countable, derogatory, slang) police officer(s)
To remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc.).
To remove (something) as scum.
*1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.vii:
*:Some scumd the drosse, that from the metall came; / Some stird the molten owre with ladles great.
To become covered with scum.
*1769 , Elizabeth Raffald, The Experienced English House-keeper , pp.321-322:
*:Take the smallest Cucumbers you can get, and as free from Spots as possible, put them into a strong Salt and Water for nine or ten Days, or 'till they are quite Yellow, and stir them twice a Day at least, or they will scum over, and grow soft
(obsolete) To scour (the land, sea etc.).
*:
*:SOo by Merlyns aduys ther were sente fore rydars to skumme the Countreye / & they mette with the fore rydars of the north / and made hem to telle whiche wey the hooste cam / and thenne they told it to Arthur / and by kyng Ban and Bors counceill they lete brenne and destroye alle the contrey afore them there they shold ryde
*Milton
*:Wandering up and down without certain seat, they lived by scumming those seas and shores as pirates.
(obsolete) To gather together, as scum.
*1815 , Rudolf Ackerman and Frederic Shoberl, The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions and Politics :
*:A great majority of the members are scummed together from the Jacobinical dregs of former periods of the revolution.
To startscum or savescum.
A rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).
A narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula.
* 1881 , :
The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful.
To impale on a spit.
* Shakespeare
To attend to a spit; to use a spit.
To spade; to dig.
(transitive) To evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.
* 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) Chapter 2
To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.
* Charles Dickens
To utter violently.
* 1915 , , Shadows of Flames , page 240 [http://books.google.com/books?id=-9AcAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=spat]:
* 2004 , edition, ISBN 0743483790, chapter 3, page 23 [http://books.google.com/books?id=d9F9MUiOQD4C&pg=PA23&dq=spat]:
(transitive, slang, hip-hop) To utter.
* 2005 , Giselle Zado Wasfie, So Fly
(uncountable) Saliva]], especially when [[expectorate, expectorated.
(countable) An instance of spitting.
English terms with multiple etymologies
In uncountable|lang=en terms the difference between scum and spit
is that scum is (uncountable) a greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds while spit is (uncountable) saliva]], especially when [[expectorate|expectorated.As nouns the difference between scum and spit
is that scum is (uncountable) a layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water) while spit is a rod on which meat is grilled (uk english) or broiled (us english) or spit can be (uncountable) saliva]], especially when [[expectorate|expectorated.As verbs the difference between scum and spit
is that scum is to remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc) while spit is to impale on a spit or spit can be (transitive) to evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.scum
English
Alternative forms
* (l)Noun
Synonyms
* (layer of impurities) dross, impurities * (layer of impurities on molten metal) cinder, scoriae, slag * (person considered reprehensible) bastardVerb
(scumm)Anagrams
* *spit
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) spitu , from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- Or perhaps he may see a group of washerwomen relieved, on a spit of shingle, against the blue sea [..]
- (Halliwell)
Verb
(spitt)- to spit a loin of veal
- infants spitted upon pikes
- She's spitting in the kitchen.
Etymology 2
From (etyl) spittan, from (etyl) (compare Danish spytte, Swedish spotta), from (etyl) Ayto, John, Dictionary of Word Origins , Arcade Publishing, New York, 1990, of imitiative origin (see spew)spew], [[w:Online Etymology Dictionary, Online Etymology Dictionary], Douglas Harper
Verb
- Don't spit on the street.
- The teacher told her to spit out her bubble gum.
- At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
- It had been spitting with rain.
- "Why, you little emasculated Don Juan— You—" he spat an unmentionable name— "d'you think I'd fight one of your tin-soldier farces with you? Clear out!"
- "Gentleman? You?" he spat .
- A group of black guys were spitting rhymes in the corner, slapping hands and egging one another on.
Usage notes
* Spit'' as the past form is common only in the US, while ''spat is common everywhere.Synonyms
* expectorateDerived terms
* spit it out * spit nails * spitting chips * spitting distanceNoun
- There was spit all over the washbasin.