1 A2 neutral
Of a baby, to bring up a small amount of milk or food after feeding
"She burped the baby gently after every feed to stop him spitting up."
separable
spit up
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To regurgitate a small amount of liquid, especially used of babies bringing up milk
In plain English
When a baby brings a little bit of milk back up from its tummy after eating
What does "spit up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
Of an adult or older child, to eject a small amount of liquid (especially blood) from the mouth or throat
"He spat up blood after the fall and was rushed to hospital."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To project something upward from the mouth or stomach — mostly transparent
Actually means
When a baby brings a little bit of milk back up from its tummy after eating
Usage tip
Predominantly used in North American English when describing infants regurgitating milk. The British equivalent is more often 'bring up' or 'posset.' Adults can also 'spit up' blood, though 'cough up' is more common in that context. The intransitive use ('the baby spat up') is very natural.
Words that pair with "spit up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
milk blood food baby infant formula
How to conjugate "spit up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
spit up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
spits up
he/she/it
Past simple
spited up
yesterday
Past participle
spited up
have + pp
-ing form
spiting up
continuous
Hear "spit up" in the wild
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