Definition of "sputtering"

sputtering

verb
1. present participle and gerund of sputter
noun
plural sputterings
1. A noise that sputters.
  Quotations
  The women of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, seated in the rows where the first violins are typically located, contributed an array of haunting vocal sounds: hushed hums, sustained high tones, sputterings and more.
  2009 April 11, Anthony Tommasini, “Moving on, a Music Director Leaves an Imprint, and a New Hall”, in New York Times‎
2. The ejection of atoms from the surface of a solid or liquid following bombardment with ions, atoms or molecules; used to prepare a thin layer of material on an object.