squirt

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to force liquid out in a thin, fast stream

   Squeeze the bottle gently so it does not squirt sauce across the table.

2. 2
   verb

   to hit or wet someone or something with a thin stream of liquid

   The children squirted one another with water in the garden.

3. 3
   noun

   a small, sudden stream or amount of liquid

   Add a squirt of lemon juice just before serving.

4. 4
   noun

   informal and disparaging: a small or insignificant person

   The older boys dismissed him as a little squirt.

From Middle English squirten, of uncertain and probably imitative origin. Its sharp consonants suggest the brief sound and motion of liquid being forced through a narrow opening. The disparaging noun applies the idea of a small squirt to a person regarded as small or unimportant.

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