sputter

Word family

sput·ter /ˈspʌtə $ -ər/ verb

1 [intransitiveI]SOUND if something such as an engine or a fire sputters, it makes short soft uneven noises like very small explosions 发出噼噼啪啪声，毕毕剥剥作响 SYN splutter

Suddenly the engine sputtered and stopped.

突然引擎啪啪响了几下就停了。

2 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]SPEAK A LANGUAGE to talk quickly in short confused phrases, especially because you are angry or shocked 急促而慌乱地说，语无伦次地说〔尤因气愤或震惊〕 SYN splutter

‘What do you mean?’ sputtered Annabelle.

“你什么意思？”安娜贝勒语无伦次地问道。

—sputter noun [countableC, uncountableU]

Examples from the Corpus

sputter• The country's transition to democracy continues to sputter along.• Since then, political parties have proliferated, but the transition to full democracy has sputtered along.• The engine sputtered and died.• The drummer passed out, the bassoonist dropped his bassoon, the trombonist sputtered and went sour.• Patients experience a sputtering downhill course and an inevitable loss of mobility.• Chaos had been averted, though strikes in the public services sputtered on.• Solano sputtered that there must be some mistake.• The engine sputtered to life with a corrupting puff of diesel exhaust.• He sputtered up and down the aisle, saying the man should be behind bars.• In both instances the sputtering war in the world outside becomes something more personal within the artificial community of these isolated characters.

Origin sputter

(1500-1600) Dutch sputteren

sput·ter verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus