cuspidor

noun

cus·​pi·​dor ˈkə-spə-ˌdȯr 

: spittoon

Did you know?

Cuspidor entered English in the early 18th century via the Portuguese word cuspidouro, meaning "place for spitting." The Portuguese word, unsurprisingly, has its origins in Latin: the word conspuere comes from the prefix com- and spuere, meaning "to spit." ("Spuere" is also the source of "spew" and sputum.) Since the early 19th century, "cuspidor" has been competing with (and losing to) "spittoon," but "cuspidor" beats "spittoon" in one particular category: the receptacle for spit at a dentist's office is more often referred to by the older word.

Examples of cuspidor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hurney embellishing every point with a wave of his makeshift cuspidor; Rivera stern and square, arms folded tightly, mouth a straight line. —Jourdan Rodrigue, charlotteobserver, 9 Mar. 2018

Buckets, cuspidors and other containers were gathered up and placed about the floor and on the judge's bench to prevent as much damage as possible. —Scott Harrison, latimes.com, 14 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese cuspidouro place for spitting, from cuspir to spit, from Latin conspuere, from com- + spuere to spit — more at spew

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined above

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