spitting image

/'spitiɳ'imidʤ/

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Word: Spitting Image

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: The phrase "spitting image" means a person or thing that looks exactly like another person or thing. It suggests a perfect likeness or a very close resemblance.

Usage Instructions:

You can use "spitting image" when you want to describe how similar two people look, especially when one is the child or relative of the other. It's often used in informal contexts.

Example Sentence:

• "When I saw Sarah's son, I thought he was the spitting image of her when she was younger."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, you might also see "spitting image" used metaphorically to describe things that are very similar in other ways, not just in appearance. For example: - "The new policy is the spitting image of the old one, just with a slightly different name."

Word Variants:

• There aren't direct variants of "spitting image," but it can be used with different subjects. For instance, you might say, "He is the spitting image of his father."

Different Meaning:

While "spitting image" primarily refers to resemblance, it’s important to note that it does not refer to personality or behavior, but strictly to physical appearance.

Synonyms:

• Look-alike
• Doppelgänger
• Carbon copy

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

"Spitting image" is itself an idiomatic expression. However, you may come across other idioms that convey a similar idea, such as: - "Cut from the same cloth" (meaning very similar in character or appearance).

Summary:

"Spitting image" is a colorful way to express that someone looks just like someone else.

Academic

Noun

1. a perfect likeness or counterpart