spit

The word “spit” means a thin rod used to skewer and rotate meat while it cooks over a fire. In plain terms, either the rod meat is cooked on, saliva, or (informally) to eject saliva or perform rap lyrics.

“Spit” is pronounced spiht (/spɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “spit” used in a sentence: “The whole pig turned slowly on a spit over the coals.”

Depending on how it is used, “spit” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “spit” comes from Old English. The noun comes from Old English spitu, "rod for roasting meat," related to Dutch spit and German Spieß. The saliva-related senses come from a separate Old English root meaning to eject fluid from the mouth.

“Spit” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Spit” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin rod used to skewer and rotate meat while it cooks over a fire.

A spit is typically a long rod used to hold and rotate a whole piece of meat, such as a chicken or a pig, over a fire so it cooks evenly. A skewer is usually smaller and used for pieces of food, like in kebabs, and is not necessarily rotated. Spit-roasting implies continuous turning over heat, while skewering does not.

"Spitting image" is the modern form of an idiom meaning someone looks exactly like another person, as if they were spat out of the same mould. The saliva sense of spit is what the phrase draws on, describing an uncanny physical likeness. It is used informally in everyday speech.

Yes, as a verb "spit" can describe rain falling very lightly, often in phrases like "it's just spitting outside." This is an informal, mostly British usage distinct from the sense of ejecting saliva. Context makes clear which meaning is intended.

In slang, to "spit" means to rap or perform lyrics skillfully, often with fast, fluent delivery. It is used as praise for a rapper's technical ability, as in "she can really spit." This usage is informal and common in hip-hop culture.