sputate

Sputate is an English verb meaning to expel saliva or sputum from the mouth, typically through coughing or spitting. It is rare in modern medical writing and is more commonly found in historical, literary, or very formal contexts; contemporary clinicians usually say expectorate or spit.

Etymology: The word derives from the Latin sputare, meaning to spit. Related terms include sputum, the material expelled from the respiratory tract, and sputation, the act of spitting.

Usage notes: Because sputate is uncommon today, its use can sound archaic. It can be used transitively, as in "The patient sputated mucus," though more natural phrasing in clinical contexts is to say the patient expelled mucus or expektored sputum. The verb follows regular conjugation, with forms such as sputates (present), sputated (past), and sputating (present participle).

In modern practice, writers tend to choose clearer alternatives such as spit, expectorate, or expel when describing the movement of mucus from the airways.

See also: Expectorate, Spit, Sputum.