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sputter out

1. Of a motor or engine, to emit a series of irregular, erratic popping or spitting sounds before shutting off. I got the lawnmower running, but it sputtered out before too long. The car started sputtering out while we were in the middle of the highway.
2. Of a flame, to be extinguished after emitting a few final puffs of fire. The candles all sputtered out as the breeze blew through the house. The campfire sputtered out as the rain intensified.
3. Of an action, intention, plan, etc., to gradually decrease or weaken in intensity, enthusiasm, or activity before failing or ceasing altogether. It seems like their plans to get into smartphone app development is beginning to sputter out. No, I don't have a back-up plan—I didn't expect this idea to sputter out so fast. Unfortunately, consumers' enthusiasm for our project sputtered out after we ran into so many delays.
See also: out
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

sputter something out

to utter something while stuttering or faltering. (As when one is physically or mentally disoriented.) She was so excited she could hardly sputter her name out. He could only sputter out a few words.
See also: out

sputter out

[for a flame] to go out in little puffs. The candle flame flickered and sputtered out. The fire sputtered out after midnight and we all got very cold before down.
See also: out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

sputter out

v.
To make irregular spitting or popping sounds and gradually stop functioning: The motor emitted a puff of smoke and sputtered out.
See also: out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Stollenwerk, "Dependence of oxygen flow on optical and electrical properties of DC-magnetron sputtered ITO films," Thin Solid Films, vol.
Effect of Oxygen Flow Rate on the Optical, Electrical, and Mechanical Properties of DC Sputtering ITO Thin Films
The focus deposition parameters will be on discharge power and working pressure, as these parameters have major effect on the properties of the DC and RF sputtered films.
Review on Substrate and Molybdenum Back Contact in CIGS Thin Film Solar Cell
That is attributed to the atomic mass of N atoms that is lighter than Cr atoms; thus, N atoms are prone to being sputtered by impinging ions with high energy [21, 22].
Influence of Cu Content on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cr-Cu-N Coatings
With increasing number of metal atoms, Penning ionization of the sputtered vapour atoms as well as electron impact ionization of neutral gas atoms increases [21].
Effect of HPPMS Pulse-Frequency on Plasma Discharge and Deposited AlTiN Coating Properties
p was larger than the solubility of B (~1 x [10.sup.20] [cm.sup.-3]) at 900[degrees]C, attributed to the nonequilibrium doping in sputter epitaxy.
Direct Current Sputter Epitaxy of Heavily Doped [p.sup.+] Layer for Monocrystalline Si Solar Cells
The sputter coating has a wide range of applications in different sectors such as medical, aerospace, automobile, optics, electronics, and energy for thin film deposition, etching of targets and surface treatments.
Sputter Coating Market - Global Forecast to 2020 - New Market Report
Finally, a 500 nm thick Pd layer deposited at the established optimal sputter regime was integrated in a newly developed microenergy system and subjected to consecutive charging via water electrolysis, followed by a discharging in a fuel cell mode.
Sputtered Pd as hydrogen storage for a chip-integrated microenergy system
The elemental composition is shown on the y-axis and the sputter time (which is proportional to sputter depth) is shown on the x-axis.
Analytical series: Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and sputter depth profiling for characterization of metal substrates and pretreatment coatings
* difference in angular distribution of any sputtered component, and
Ti substituted nano-crystalline [Cu.sub.3]N thin films
Sprayed and Sputtered Calcium Phosphate Coatings for Medical Implants.
Initial study on fibers and coatings for the fabrication of bioscaffolds
This romp through the games of courtship opens with a telling metaphor: As the men stand in a line, a single woman, aware of her appeal, strides by; the men inflate balloons as she pauses; when she exits, the balloons sputter and spew until limp.
Black Grace
In the sputter process, the metal atoms are driven out of the material and partially ionised by the argon ions.
AlTiN-Saturn: the high performance coating
He could diagnose a car's problems just by listening to its cough or sputter. At 17 he marries a fetching 22-year-old model, but his three children die in infancy.
For Gold and Glory: Charlie Wiggins and the African-American Racing Car Circuit
Rouessac, LMPM/IEM; "Reactive sputter deposition of electrolyte coatings for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells," P.
Plasma processes examined. (Meetings)
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