▪ I. † spete, v. Obs.
Forms: inf. 1 spætan, 3 speten, 4–5 spete. pa. tense 1 spætte, 2–5 spette (4 spetide); 3–4 spatte, 4 spat.
[OE. spǽtan, f. the stem *spāt-: cf. spattle n.1 and v.1 The inf. and pres. forms disappeared in the 15th cent., and the pa. tense and pple. came to be associated with spit v.1]
To spit; to expectorate: a. intr.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark x. 34 Hi him on spætað [Hatton spæteð]. Ibid. John ix. 6 Þa spætte [Hatton spette] he on þa eorþan. a 1225 Ancr. R. 240 Þonne spet heo & schekeð þet heaued. a 1250 Owl & Night. 39 Me luste bet speten þane singe Of þine fule howelynge. c 1275 Passion our Lord 272 in O.E. Misc., Þe Gywes..Blyndfellede and spatten him on. c 1300 Leben Jesu (Horstm. 1873) 29 He..spatte a luyte on is fingur. 13.. K. Alis. 979 Tho thou spettest in my visage. 1382 Wyclif Mark vii. 33 He..spetinge towchide his tunge. 14.. in Wr.-Wülcker 610 Screo, to spete. |
b. trans.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 82 Þe þet swuch fulðe speteð ut [etc.]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxxv. (Bodl. MS.), As it fareþ in ham þat spetynne bloode and quyture. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483) v. x. 101 He smote hym in the brest that he spette blood many dayes after. |
Hence † ˈspeting vbl. n. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Lev. xv. 8 If sich a man castith out spetyng on hym. a 1400 Stockholm Med. MS. i. 302 in Anglia XVIII. 302 It schal drywyn owte all þe peyne Withowte gret spetynge or oþer peyne. |
▪ II. spete
obs. form of spit n.1 and v.2