What does sputum mean?
Sputum is the mucus or other material brought up from the respiratory tract, usually by coughing. The term is especially common in medicine, where sputum may be examined to help diagnose infections, tuberculosis, and other respiratory conditions. It differs from general terms such as mucus and phlegm mainly in referring to material expelled from the lungs or bronchi. Sputum can be clear, white, yellow, green, or blood-tinged, and its appearance may provide useful clinical information. The word is formal and technical rather than conversational, appearing in medical descriptions, laboratory reports, and public-health guidance. Although it can simply describe material coughed from the chest, the word often implies a bodily sample that is being observed or tested.
nounMucus or other material coughed up from the respiratory tract, especially from the lungs or bronchi. In medicine, sputum may be collected and examined for diagnostic purposes.
- Mucus or other material coughed up from the respiratory tract, especially from the lungs or bronchi.
"The patient coughed up a small amount of blood-tinged sputum."
"A sputum sample was sent to the laboratory for testing."
"The patient produced copious sputum during the night."
The plural sputa is standard in medical usage; sputum is also used as a mass noun when referring generally to the substance.
"The laboratory tested three sputa for evidence of tuberculosis."
The word sputum comes from the same Latin root as spume, the frothy foam that bubbles on liquids.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sputum come from?
The English word comes from Latin sputum, meaning “spit” or “spittle,” a noun formed from spuere, “to spit.” The same Latin root also underlies spume, referring to foam or froth, and related words such as spumescent. In English, sputum developed its specifically medical sense of material coughed up from the respiratory tract.
How sputum is actually used
Sputum is primarily a medical and scientific term. In general usage, phlegm is more common and less technical. Blood-tinged sputum can indicate a respiratory problem and warrants medical assessment.