What does spuing mean?
Spuing is the present participle of the verb “spew,” meaning to eject liquid or other matter from the mouth or a source with force. It is often used when describing a stream of water, smoke, ash, or another substance coming from an opening, as in “the pipe was spuing steam.” The word can also refer to a person expelling the contents of the stomach, although “vomiting” is usually more neutral in medical contexts while “spuing” has a more forceful, vivid, and sometimes formal or literary tone. Because “spuing” is an inflected verb form, it appears most often in continuous or participial constructions rather than as the main verb in a sentence. Its unusual sound and vivid imagery make it especially effective in descriptive writing.
verbSpuing means ejecting liquid or semi-liquid matter from the mouth, often forcefully or in a stream. As the present participle of spew, it can also mean ejecting something forcefully.
- To eject liquid or semi-liquid matter from the mouth, usually forcefully or in a stream.
- To eject or disgorge something forcefully, often with an accompanying flow.
"The pipe was spuing hot water across the pavement."
"The broken hydrant was spuing water into the street."
"The volcano was spuing smoke and ash into the air."
From an Old English word for spitting or spraying, “spuing” survives in a surprisingly vivid description of matter being forcefully expelled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spuing come from?
The form is derived from the English verb “spew,” which comes from Middle English “spewen” and Old English “spēotan,” meaning “to spit” or “spray.” “Spuing” is the modern present-participle form, formed according to the regular spelling and pronunciation patterns of English. The word has long been associated with the forceful expulsion of liquid or other material.
Related word forms
How spuing is actually used
The word is formal or literary in many contexts and sounds more forceful than the everyday alternatives “vomiting” or “throwing up.” It can describe liquid, smoke, ash, or other material expelled from a source.
Easily confused with spuing
Spuing is a less common verb form, while spewing is the more familiar infinitive and present-participle form of the same verb.
Spuing emphasizes the forceful ejection of liquid or matter, whereas spouting can describe liquid issuing from a source or someone speaking at length.