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Spit vs Bicker - What's the difference?

spit | bicker |

As nouns the difference between spit and bicker

is that 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 while bicker is a skirmish; an encounter or bicker can be a small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.

As verbs the difference between spit and bicker

is that spit is to impale on a spit or spit can be (transitive) to evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth while bicker is to quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.

spit

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) spitu , from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).
  • A narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula.
  • * 1881 , :
    • Or perhaps he may see a group of washerwomen relieved, on a spit of shingle, against the blue sea [..]
  • The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful.
    • (Halliwell)

    Verb

    (spitt)
  • To impale on a spit.
    • to spit a loin of veal
  • * Shakespeare
    • infants spitted upon pikes
  • To attend to a spit; to use a spit.
    • She's spitting in the kitchen.
  • To spade; to dig.

    • 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

  • (transitive) To evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.
    • Don't spit on the street.
    The teacher told her to spit out her bubble gum.
  • * 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) Chapter 2
    • 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.
  • To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.
  • * Charles Dickens
    • It had been spitting with rain.
  • To utter violently.
  • * 1915 , , Shadows of Flames , page 240 [http://books.google.com/books?id=-9AcAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=spat]:
    • "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!"
  • * 2004 , edition, ISBN 0743483790, chapter 3, page 23 [http://books.google.com/books?id=d9F9MUiOQD4C&pg=PA23&dq=spat]:
    • "Gentleman? You?" he spat .
  • (transitive, slang, hip-hop) To utter.
  • * 2005 , Giselle Zado Wasfie, So Fly
    • 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
    * expectorate
    Derived terms
    * spit it out * spit nails * spitting chips * spitting distance

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Saliva]], especially when [[expectorate, expectorated.
    • There was spit all over the washbasin.
  • (countable) An instance of spitting.
    • Synonyms
    * expectoration, saliva
    Derived terms
    * spitball * spit-cup * spitshine * spittoon * spit wad

    Anagrams

    * * *

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies

    bicker

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) bikeren ‘to attack’, from (etyl) bicken ‘to stab, attack’ (modern bikken ‘to hack’), from (etyl) ‘to smash, break’.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.
    • They bickered about dinner every evening.
  • * Barrow
    • petty things about which men cark and bicker
  • To move tremulously, quiver, shimmer (of a water stream, of a flame)
  • *XIX cent,
    • I come from haunts of coot and hern, / I make a sudden sally, / And sparkle out among the fern, / To bicker down a valley.
  • * Thomson
    • They [streamlets] bickered through the sunny shade.
  • To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight.
  • * Holland
    • Two eagles had a conflict, and bickered together.
    Derived terms
    *bickerer
    Synonyms
    * wrangle * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A skirmish; an encounter.
  • (Scotland, obsolete) A fight with stones between two parties of boys.
    • (Jamieson)
  • A wrangle; also, a noise, as in angry contention.

    • Etymology 2

    See beaker.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.
    • (Webster 1913)

    External links

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