sputtering

adj : emitting or making sporadic spitting or popping sounds; "the

sputtering engine"; "spluttering electric arcs" [syn: {spluttering}]

n : the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively;

"he heard a spatter of gunfire" [syn: {spatter}, {spattering},

{splatter}, {splattering}, {sputter}, {splutter}]