sputum
noun/ˈspjuːtəm/
/ˈspjuːtəm/
[uncountable] (medical)- liquid from the throat or lungs, especially when it is coughed up (= forced up from the lungs, etc.) because of disease
- blood in the sputum
Word Originlate 17th cent.: from Latin, neuter past participle of spuere ‘to spit’.Want to learn more?
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