▪ I. spew, n.
(spjuː)
Also 7–9 spue.
[f. the vb.]
1. a. That which is spewed or cast up from the stomach; vomited matter; vomit. Also fig. or in fig. context.
| 1609 Markham Famous Wh. (1868) 32 Thus to mine old trade, and spew of hell, Onely for gaine, agen I basely fell. 1642 H. More Song of Soul i. iii. 29 That foul spue Which the false Dragon casts in every coast. 1660 Milton Free Commw. Wks. 1851 V. 445 The Language of thir infernal Pamphlets, the Spue of every Drunkard, every Ribald. 1705 Swift Salamander 66 Wks. 1841 I. 607 She soon would find the same effects, Her tainted carcase to pursue, As from the salamander's spew. 1739 R. Bull tr. Dedekindus' Grobianus 266 'Twas nothing but his Due, Instead of Laurel to be crown'd with Spue. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India I. ii. iv. 159 Throwing upon another from the navel downwards to his foot, spue, or urine, or ordure. |
b. techn. (See quot.)
| 1893 Labour Commission Gloss. No. 9, Spew-out, the emanation similar to treacle of the glucose from the uppers or leather when kept for a time. |
c. Surplus material exuded between the halves of a mould during the manufacture of plastic objects. Freq. attrib.
| 1933 Industr. & Engin. Chem. June 647/1 The degree of flow can be readily controlled by the location, size and placement of the spew hole. 1945 A. T. Birkby Phenolic Plastics iv. 43 Provision should be made for air venting, and, in the case of compression moulds, for spew⁓ways. Ibid. viii. 93 ‘Flash’ or ‘spew’ soon begins to appear round each press, and unless swept up and removed becomes a nuisance. 1964 Wordingham & Reboul Dict. Plastics 165 Spew groove, in moulding operations, the groove in a mould which permits the escape of surplus material. |
2. dial. The fourth swarm of bees in a season.
| 1750 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandm. IV. i. 182 The swarm is the first and greatest number, the cast is the next greatest, the colt the next, and the spew the least of all. Ibid. ii. 115. 1854 in A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss. |
3. dial. A wet, marshy piece of ground; a place in a field, etc., where water oozes up.
| 1794 P. Foot Agric. Midl. 45 (E.D.D.), The water..appears at the foot or in the middle of a declivity, and causes a spew, a squall, or boggy piece of ground. 1868 R. W. Huntley Gloss. Cotswold (Glouc.) Dial., Spew, a spungy piece of ground. 1871 Kingsley At Last viii, The little pitch wells—‘spues’ or ‘galls’, as we should call them in Hampshire. |
4. Special Comb.: spew frost = needle ice s.v. needle n. 14.
| 1938 C. F. S. Sharpe Landslides & Related Phenomena iii. 27 Growths of frost crystal of this sort are known as spew frost.., feather-ice, or needle-ice..and on the European continent as Pipkrake or Kammeis. 1939 [see needle ice s.v. needle n. 14]. |
▪ II. spew, v.
(spjuː)
Forms: α. 1 spiwan, spywan, spiowan, speowan, 3 speowen; 3– spew, 4–6 spewe, 5 spyw-, 6 speew, speawe. β. 4–9 spue (5 spuwe, spw-).
[Two OE. forms are here represented: (1) the strong verb sp{iacu}wan, sp{yacu}wan (pa. tense spáw, pl. spiwon), = OFris. spîa, spiga (WFris. spije, EFris. spî, NFris. spî, spei, spai), OS. spîwan (MLG. spîen, spîgen, spiggen), OHG. spîwan (MHG. spîwen, spîen, G. speien), ON. and Icel. sp{yacu}ja (Norw., Sw., Da. spy), Goth. speiwan; (2) the weak verb spéowan, sp{iacu}owan (pa. tense spéowde, sp{iacu}owde). The strong forms barely survived beyond OE. The Continental languages also show a tendency to adopt weak forms, and exhibit various irregular modifications of the stem, which is found outside of Teutonic in L. spuĕre, Gr. πτύειν, Lith. spiauti, etc.]
1. intr. To bring up and discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth; to vomit. Not now in polite use.
Also in OE., to spit, to discharge spittle or blood.
| α c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. v. 45 Ᵹif hire ðonne se wiðsace, ðonne is cynn ðæt him spiwe ðæt wif on ðæt nebb. c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xii. 163 Swa þæt he bið þam hunde ᵹelic þe spywð, and eft ytt þæt he ær aspaw. c 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS.F) an. 1003, Ða ᵹebræde he hine to spiwenne & cwæd ðæt he seoc wære. a 1225 Juliana 49 Hare ahne blod ich habbe ofte imaket ham to spitten & to speowen. c 1340 Nominale (Skeat) 344 Homme vomyte pur surfet, [Man] spewith for ouer mykul. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶451 If thou ete of it out of mesure, thou shalt spewe. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 71 Þe medicyn ys þys, to drynke cler watir with a sope of vynegre, and spewe. 1530 Palsgr. 728 This felowe is so lothsome that he wolde make one spewe. 1570 Levins Manip. 214 To speawe, spuere, vomere. 1570 Googe Pop. Kingd. iv. 56 He..holdes their heades that speewing lie. 1607 Middleton Fam. Love iv. iii. 93, I will..send him packing, or else he will spew or do worse before me. 1647 Trapp Marrow Gd. Authors in Comm. Ep. 687 Such as should make a Christian spew to think on them. 1739 R. Bull tr. Dedekindus' Grobianus 42 There, unabash'd, heroically, spew. 1783 Gibbon Misc. Wks. (1814) II. 327, I had not the least symptom of sea-sickness, while my companions were spewing round me. 1809 Byron Lines to Mr. Hodgson iii, Passengers their berths are clapt in, Some to grumble, some to spew. 1888– in dial. glossaries and texts (Som., Norf., Lanc., Yks., Durh., etc.). |
| transf. 1731 Pope Ep. Burlington 154 The rich Buffet well-colour'd serpents grace, And gaping Tritons spew to wash your face. |
| β a 1400 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 503 Edricus a fals traytor, feyned for to spuwe, and seide that he was seke. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxiv. 82, I spuyd and spyt right in his face. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 33 Some spue, some stacker, some vtterly are lame. 1530 Palsgr. 730/2, I spue, I gyve over my gorge, je gomys. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. vii. lxxvii, All drink to spue, and spue again to drink. 1706 J. H. Browne Pipe of Tobacco Poems (1768) 123 A pot wherein to spit or spue. 1877 in Holderness Gloss. |
| fig. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. I. 365 Lysander,..being reviled with many bitter speeches, said to him that offered the injurie: Spue out boldly, my friend; spue out..and spare not. |
† b. trans. To bespew or bespit. Obs.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 97 b, He was illuded & scorned with garmentes of irrisyon, spewed in y⊇ face. |
2. trans. To bring up (food or drink) from the stomach and eject through the mouth; to cast up or vomit; to cast out, throw forth, or discharge (blood, poison, etc.) from the mouth. Also in fig. context.
In OE. the object is sometimes in the dative.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 57 Ne þæt to nahte nyt ne biþ þæt man godne mete ete oþþe þæt betste win..drince, ᵹif..he hit eft spiwende anforlæteþ. a 1000 Juliana 476 (Gr.), Eac ic sume ᵹedyde, þæt him banlocan blode spiowedan. c 1000 ælfric Saint's Lives xii. 63 He feoll þa æt ðære forman snæde underbecc ᵹeswoᵹen, and spaw blod. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 199 [Þe] neddre..speweð hire atter. c 1220 Bestiary 139 in O.E. Misc., Oc he speweð or al ðe uenim ðat in his brest is bred. c 1300 Havelok 1819 Þe fifte..Gaf he a ful sor dint ok, Bitwen þe sholdres,..þat he speu [printed spen] his herte blod. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 439 Men ete..filþe þat men hadde y-spewed [v.r. yspuwed] and i-cast up. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 118 Or ellis he spewiþ [v.r. spyweþ] his mete, or he feliþ to gret akþe in þe heed. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxvii. 59 He about the Devillis nek Did spew agane ane quart of blek. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. i. 20 Therewith she spewd out of her filthy maw A floud of poyson. 1611 Sir W. Mure Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 6 Ane spytfull spidar, ewer spewing Ye poysonous potioune of late rewing. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 772 The Steer..dying spews a Flood Of foamy Madness, mix'd with clotted Blood. 1815 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (1826) 39 Dæmons, dragons, spectres dire, Spewin' reek, an' riftin' fire. |
b. Const. with advs., as forth, out, up.
| a 900 O.E. Martyrol. 23 Mar., He spaw his innoð ut þurh his muð. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 37 Þe fule man þe foleȝeð his wombes wil..and þe est metes and drinkes ut speweð. a 1240 Sawles Warde in O.E. Hom. I. 251 Iteilede draken..forswolheð ham ihal, ant speoweð ham eft ut biuoren ant bihinden. 1388 Wyclif Job xx. 15 He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 92 Their Musicke in the end was sound drunkennesse, and their Syncopa turnd to spew vp all. 1655 Moufet & Bennet Health's Improv. (1746) 239 If you shift them into fresh Water or Brine..they will open themselves, and spue out all their Gravel and Filthiness. 1682 N. O. Boileau's Lutrin ii. 172 Thou look'st as if first eaten, and then spew'd up. 1855 Singleton Virgil II. 247 But he..from his jaws prodigious smoke..spews forth. |
| fig. a 1618 Raleigh Instr. to Son (1651) ix. 27, I thought at the last, quoth Diogenes, he would spue out a whole house. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events 214 Thus they left him in that place, spewing out his soule with his bloud. |
c. Freq. in fig. use with reference to abusive or objectionable language. Chiefly const. with advs., as forth, out, up. (Freq. c 1550–1600.)
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 86 Þe uorme [backbiter] cumeð al openliche, & seið vuel bi anoðer, & speoweð ut his atter. 1532 [see spet v. b]. 1535 Joye Apol. Tindale (Arb.) 39 [He] hathe spewed forthe al his venome and poyson at once vpon me. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 114 But why shold they spue against me their spiteful stomaches? 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. ii. 171, I doe not grudge mine enemies to spue Their slanders on my name. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 472 My sonne, beholde you deserue to be burnt quicke..: Spewing forth also this Fæminine Latine [etc.]. a 1704 T. Brown Amusem. Ser. & Com., Lond. Wks. 1709 III. i. 17 There is an Evidence ready to spue up his false Oaths at the sight of the common Executioner. 1718 T. Gordon Dedic. to Gt. Man 20 Why must prating Oafs..be for ever suffer'd, without Rebuke, to be spewing up their ill-scented Crudities in the Faces of Men that are either Wise or Brave? 1877 Dowden Shaks. Primer v. 53 Thersites spews over everything that we had deemed high and sacred, his foul..insults. |
3. To cast out († or up), to eject or reject, with abhorrence, contempt, or loathing. Also const. out of or forth (a place). (Freq. c 1600.)
| (a) 1388 Wyclif Lev. xviii. 25 Of which lond Y schal vysyte the grete synnes, that it spewe out hise dwellers. 1526 Tindale Rev. iii. 16 Because thou arte..nether colde ner hott, I will spew the oute of my mought. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. (1877) 105 It will spue out many of his Maisters out of dores before it be long. 1601 Bacon Decl. Treas. E. of Essex Wks. 1879 I. 433 He was thus justly spewed out of the realm. a 1652 Brome Novella v. i, I shall take for your disgrace an order Shall spue you forth the City. 1692 Ray Disc. iii. xii. (1732) 421 Heaven would naturally spue out and eject a wicked Person. 1729 W. Flower Let. Swift S.'s Wks. 1841 II. 624 Bad men..should be spewed out of it with the utmost contempt. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vii. II. 231 William..would have been pronounced by..bigots on both sides a mere Laodicean,..and fit only to be spewed out. |
4. To eject, cast or throw out or up, as if by vomiting. (Freq. in the 17th c.).
| 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. ii. iv. Columnes 224 A Bullet spewd from Brazen Brest. 1613 Drayton Man in the Moone 240 Others [sc. shell-fish] agayn wide open that did yawn, And on the grauell spew'd their orient spawn. 1676 Grew Musæum, Anat. Stomach & Guts (1681) vii. 29 The glands of the Guts are likewise of great Use. The Mucus which they spew, serves to make the Guts slippery. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 176 When Earth with Slime and Mud is cover'd o'er, Or hollow Places spue their wat'ry Store. 1707 Mortimer Husb. (1721) II. 120 The Frosts are apt to spew them out of the Ground. 1710 T. Fuller Pharm. Extemp. 250 It is useful to..hinder the Lympha's being plentifully spewed out of the Glands. |
b. Const. forth, out, up.
| 1610 G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. i. xxii, And, least their pleasant gods should want delight, Neptune spues out the Lady Aphrodite. 1664 Evelyn Sylva (1679) 10 Your plants beginning now to peep, should be earthed up,..especially, after breaking of the greater Frosts, and when the swelling mould is apt to spue them forth. 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. 13 At such time as this place doth spue out its filth. 1727 Earbery tr. Burnet's St. Dead 127 The Sepulchres open'd their marble Jaws, and spew'd out their Dead. 1855 Singleton Virgil I. 138 If no high Mansion..Of morning visitants a mighty tide Spews forth from all its halls. |
c. spec. To eject by volcanic action.
| 1594 Greene & Lodge Looking Gl. 1382 G.'s Wks. (Grosart) XIV. 62 The hill of Sicely..spues out from below The smoakie brands that Vulcans bellowes driue. 1685 Burnet Trav. (1687) ii. iv. 27 What can be the fuel of so lasting a burning, that hath calcined so much matter, and spewed out such prodigious quantities. 1690 ― Theory Earth II. 86 When the bowels of the earth begin to melt, and the mountains spew out streams of liquid fire. 1717 Berkeley Jrnl. Tour Italy Wks. 1871 IV. 589 It is pretended that in [the year] 31 hot waters were spewed out of the crater. 1847 C. Brontë J. Eyre xx, A crater-crust which may crack and spue fire any day. |
5. techn. a. To force or cause to ooze out by undue strain or pressure; spec. in Naut. use (see quot. 1863).
| 1570–1 Admiralty Crt. Exam. 18, 17 Feb., Havinge her okam spewed owte. 1630 Ibid. 49, 26 Aug., [A leaky ship] spewed the ocum out of her seames. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 28 That which is thin, will cause the work to settle more in one place then in the other, and the joynts to spue out the Morter. 1863 A. Young Naut. Dict. 365 A vessel is said to spue the oakum when her straining and labouring at sea forces the oakum out of the seams of her planks. |
† b. Of a gun: To throw out or drop (powder) instead of consuming it. Obs.—1
| a 1642 Sir W. Monson Naval Tracts iii. (1704) 344/1 The shorter Piece will spue her Powder. |
6. intr. Of water, liquids, etc.: To flow, pour, or run in a more or less copious stream; to ooze or be forced out or up. Usually const. with adverbs or preps. Now chiefly dial.
| 1670 J. Smith Eng. Improv. Reviv'd 38 Being full of Landsprings (which is Water running within the Earth, and shews it self, or is discovered by breaking out, or spewing up in many places). 1675 Worlidge Syst. Agric. vii. §10 (ed. 2) 123 The Sap or Gum will also spew out in that place. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth iii. (1723) 152 It [water] spues out of Chasmes, opened by the Earthquake, in great Abundance. 1717 Berkeley in Fraser Life (1871) iii. 79 This stuff would sometimes spew over and run down the convex side of the conical hill. 1784 Cullum Hist. Hawsted & Hardwick iii. 171 Sand-Galls, spots of sand in a field where water oozes, or, as we say, spews up. 1843 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. IV. i. 40 The gravel..causes the land-springs to rise and spew out upon the surface. 1892 Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker 339 Avalanches of clay, rock, and uprooted forest spewed over the cliffs and fell upon the beach. |
b. Of ground: To swell through excess of moisture; to slip or run when left unsupported.
| 1839 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. II. 27/1 Stratford marshes, where the ground for a depth of eight feet is inclined to ‘spew up’. 1860 Worcester, Spew, v.n., to swell, as wet land affected by frost, so as to throw seed out of the ground; as, ‘The ground spews’. 1876 Robinson Mid-Yks. Gloss. s.v., In constructing a ‘sike’ for the drainage of land, gravelly earth will often break edge, and spew. |
c. Artill. (See quot.) rare—0.
| 1842 Burn Nav. & Milit. Techn. Dict. i, Saigner du nez, to spew, run at the mouth; applied to a gun when, from too quick a fire, it bends at the chase, or the muzzle droops. |
7. Of bees: To swarm for the fourth time in one season.
| 1750 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandm. IV. ii. 115 Bees will sometimes (but rarely) swarm, cast, colt, and spew, from one and the same old stock of Bees in one Summer. |
Hence spewed ppl. a.; ˈspewer.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 108 Uomex, uel uomens, spiwere. 1606 Holyoke Rider's Dict. i, Vomitor, a spewer, or parbreaker. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. vii. lxxvii, Insatiate sink, how with so generall stain Thy spu'd⁓out puddles court, town, fields entice! 1648 Hexham ii, Een Braker, a Vomiter, or Spewer. Ibid., Een Spouwer, a Spetter or a Spuer. 1883 Almondbury & Huddersf. Gloss., Spuers, squibs; serpents; a kind of fireworks. |