means To eject saliva forcibly from the mouth, or the saliva itself; also figuratively the act of expelling words or small objects with force.

from From Old English 'spittan,' a verb with siblings across the Germanic family — related to Old English 'spætan' and echoed in words like 'spew' and 'sputter.' Many of these are imitative, born from the very sound the mouth makes when it propels something out: that sharp 'sp-' burst followed by a hiss. Language here is mimicking the body, the word doing exactly what it describes.