different between skittle vs spittle

English

Etymology

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin (compare Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”)). Compare also Old English s?ytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sk?t?l/
• Rhymes: -?t?l

Noun

skittle (plural skittles)

1. One of the wooden targets used in skittles.

Verb

skittle (third-person singular simple present skittles, present participle skittling, simple past and past participle skittled)

1. (intransitive) To play skittles.
2. (transitive) To beat comprehensively.
3. (transitive) To knock down.

See also

• bowling

Anagrams

• Kittles, kittles

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sp?.t(?)l/
• Rhymes: -?t?l

Etymology 1

Alteration of dialectal spattle (by association with spit (noun)), from Old English sp?tl, which is related to sp?tan (whence spit (verb)).

Noun

spittle (countable and uncountable, plural spittles)

1. Spit, usually frothy and of a milky coloration.
2. Something frothy and white that resembles spit.
3. Spit-up or drool of an infant.

Derived terms

• lickspittle
• spittly

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

spittle (countable and uncountable, plural spittles)

1. (now archaic) Alternative form of spital
   • a. 1633, George Herbert, The Thanksgiving:

     I'll build a spittle, or mend common ways […]

Etymology 3

Representing a frequentative form of spit (“a spade's depth”), equivalent to spit +? -le.

Noun

spittle (countable and uncountable, plural spittles)

1. A small sort of spade.

Verb

spittle (third-person singular simple present spittles, present participle spittling, simple past and past participle spittled)

1. To dig or stir with a small spade.

Anagrams

• pittles