the.com/spit
the body's free, unbottled cocktail that digests dinner and identifies suspects.
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.
- daily output
- humans produce up to two pints daily
- starts digestion
- enzymes break down food before swallowing
- dna goldmine
- saliva tests reveal ancestry and disease risk
- natural antiseptic
- contains compounds that help wounds heal
- animal weapons
- camels and cobras weaponize it for defense
llama spitting — llamas projectile-spit saliva and stomach contents when agitated, common on farms
cobra spitting cobra — asian spitting cobras spray venom up to 8 feet with 80% accuracy in self-defense