What Is The Past Tense Of Spit?
English, with over 200 irregular verbs, not just the verb rise and the verb weave, can freak you out! Now, get ready to equip yourself with a new verb: spit.
The past tense for spit: SPAT or SPIT. You can spell it S-P-A-T or S-P-I-T. And its past participle tense is also SPAT or SPIT.
Of note, the past tense form SPAT is more prevalent in British English. Meanwhile, the past tense form SPIT is widely used in North America.
Let this table shows you the spit past tense and other tense forms:
| Base/Infinitive Form (V1) | spit |
| Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form | spits |
| Past Form (V2) | spit/spat |
| Past Participle Form (V3) | spit/spat |
| Present Participle/Gerund | spitting |
Here is a quick summary for you:
How To Pronounce Spit Past Tense Precisely?
For the accurate pronunciation of “spit” and its irregular forms, we’ve rounded up the details with the help of the Oxford Online Dictionary. Take a glimpse at this table:
|
Form of word |
Pronunciation |
|
|
British English |
American English | |
| spit | /spɪt/ |
/spɪt/ |
|
spits |
/spɪts/ | /spɪts/ |
| spat(v2+v3) | /spæt/ |
/spæt/ |
|
spit(v2+v3) |
/spɪt/ | /spɪt/ |
| spitting | /ˈspɪtɪŋ/ |
/ˈspɪtɪŋ/ |
How About The Spit Definitions?
For the core meanings of spit, check this list below that we compiled from the Oxford Online Dictionary:
- To force food, liquid, etc., out of someone’s mouth.
- The wee girl took a mouthful of food, then suddenly spit it all out.
- The baby has already spit her milk out due to the allergy.
2. To force saliva out of someone’s mouth, often as a sign of lack of respect or anger.
- Yesterday, a gang of youths spit at officials standing at the museum’s entrance.
- A group of teenagers has just spit at the police standing over there.
3. To say something angrily or aggressively or to tell a secret.
- My mom stormed into my room and said: “Spit it out! How dare you truant today?”
- The criminals had spit abuse at the jury and judge before being dragged out.
4. To create an angry sound.
- My cat arched the back and spat at the mice.
- Snakes had spit and then hissed before we approached them.
5. To make noise and throw out sparks, fat, etc.
- Five hours ago, the logs spit and crackled on the fire.
- The sausages have spit in the frying pan for nearly five hours.
6. To rain.
- It was spitting all day long yesterday.
- It had spit for quite a long time.
Regular Past-tense Form Of Spit: Vocabulary Quiz
FAQs
Past Participle Of Spit: What Is It?
The past participle of spit is “spit” or “spat” because it’s an irregular verb. SPAT should be used in British English, while the former is more prevailing in general English language learning.
How Do You Spell Spit?
It’s straightforward: S-P-I-T. “Spit” can be the base form, the past-tense form, and the past participle.
Idioms With Spit?
- Within spitting distance: Very close.
Example: Our apartment is within spitting distance of the largest commercial center.
- Spit blood/venom: To express that you feel angry; To speak angrily.
Example: Anne Bella saw him with eyes that spat venom.
- Spit it out: To tell someone to say something when they are unwilling or frightened to speak.
For example: Once you have other ideas, spit them out!
Is Spit A Verb Or A Noun?
Spit is not just a verb; its noun appears with the same structure: SPIT.
As a noun, it refers to these meanings:
- A thin, straight, and long piece of metal that you put through the meat to turn and hold while you cook it over the fire.
- A light and long piece of land sticking out into a sea, a lake, and so on.
- Spitting food or liquid out of your mouth.
- The liquid produced in someone’s mouth.
Had Spat Or Had Spit?
Both are correct. In this sentence, “spit” and “spat” are both the past participle forms of the verb “spit.”
Is Spat Out A Word?
Yes. “spat” is the regular past tense form of “spit.” Beyond that, “spat” can be a noun with these meanings:
- A piece of cloth that covers the ankle, worn in the past by men over the shoe.
- A short argument about something unimportant.
What Is The Third-Person Singular Simple Present Indicative Form Of Spit?
Long answer short: It’s SPITS. Example: The raven spits at the cat.
His name is Benjamin Essek – The founder of Grammar Wiki. He is an English native speaker and has joined many English classes, learning communities to support other people with this common language as well.