cuspidor

[ kuhs-pi-dawr ]
/ ˈkʌs pɪˌdɔr /

noun

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.

Origin of cuspidor

1770–80; < Portuguese: literally, spitter, equivalent to cusp(ir) to spit (≪ Latin conspuere to cover with spit; con- con- + spuere to spit1) + -idor < Latin -i-tōrium; see -i-, -tory2

Words nearby cuspidor

cusped, cuspid, cuspidal, cuspidate, cuspidation, cuspidor, cuss, cussed, cussword, custard, custard apple

Example sentences from the Web for cuspidor

British Dictionary definitions for cuspidor

cuspidor
/ (ˈkʌspɪˌdɔː) /

noun

another word (esp US) for spittoon

Word Origin for cuspidor

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