cuspidor

[ kuhs-pi-dawr ]

noun

1. a large bowl, often of metal, serving as a receptacle for spit, especially from chewing tobacco: in wide use during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

cuspidor

/ ˈkʌspɪˌdɔː /

noun

1. another word (esp US) for spittoon

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuspidor¹

1770–80; < Portuguese: literally, spitter, equivalent to cusp ( ir ) to spit (≪ Latin conspuere to cover with spit; con- con- + spuere to spit ¹ ) + -idor < Latin -i-tōrium; -i-, -tory ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuspidor¹

C18: from Portuguese, from cuspir to spit, from Latin conspuere, from spuere to spit

Example Sentences

Time after time, single-handed and on her hands and knees, she emptied all the cuspidors and scrubbed down the lobby of Grand Central Station.

From Literature

Avoid this habit and use the cuspidor or step out-of-doors.

From Project Gutenberg

To avoid bloating from the hundreds of sips in a day, he would use chrome-plated cuspidors.

From New York Times

A corps of janitors had been active for two days introducing folding chairs, cuspidors, tables and wastebaskets.

From Project Gutenberg

Directly behind me, as I was soon made aware, was a cuspidor, toward which the President turned the flow of tobacco juice.

From Project Gutenberg