sputter in WordNet English dictionary

1. climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
   clamber  scramble  shin  shinny  skin  struggle  sputter 
   
2. spit up in an explosive manner
   splutter  sputter  spit out 
   
3. utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage
   sputter  splutter 
   
4. cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed
   "The solar wind protons must sputter away the surface atoms of the dust"
   sputter 
   
5. make an explosive sound
   "sputtering engines"
   sputter 
   

1. the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively
   "he heard a spatter of gunfire"
   spatter  spattering  splatter  splattering  sputter  splutter  sputtering 
   
2. an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)
   sputter  splutter