What does spittoon mean?
A spittoon is a container intended to receive saliva, typically positioned in a public place or in a room where people may be smoking. The word is now somewhat old-fashioned because such receptacles are less common, although it remains a precise and useful name for the object. Spittoons once appeared in railway stations, theatres, bars, clubs, and other public venues, often as fixed or freestanding metal containers. The term can sound mildly formal or nostalgic, and it is particularly associated with the period when smoking was common indoors. In modern contexts, a spittoon might still appear at a traditional event, in a historic building, or in a place where people use chewing tobacco. Its straightforward name makes it especially useful when describing traditional public furnishings or objects associated with an earlier social era.
nounA container into which people spit, especially in a public place or one where tobacco is smoked.
- A vessel or receptacle designed to receive saliva, especially for use by people who expect to spit in a public or shared space.
"The building's entrance was lined with old-fashioned brass spittoons."
"He cleared his throat and spat into the nearby spittoon."
"The old theatre still had a row of spittoons near its entrance."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"The spittoons were emptied at the end of the day."
Once a familiar fixture in bars, railway stations, and other public spaces, the spittoon has largely given way to more discreet receptacles or vanished altogether.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spittoon come from?
The word is formed within English from 'spit', meaning to expel saliva, together with the noun-forming suffix '-oon', which also occurs in words such as 'balloon' and 'saloon'. It developed during the 19th century as a name for a receptacle into which people could spit. The root verb 'spit' comes from Old English 'spittan', while 'spittle' is a closely related formation from the same verbal root.
How spittoon is actually used
The word is formal or historical today and may sound old-fashioned, though it remains clear and readily understood. In British English, 'spittoon' is also associated especially with railway carriages and other places where passengers historically smoked.
Easily confused with spittoon
A spittoon is a container for saliva, while a spit is the saliva itself or the act of expelling it.