Sprug Sprug transitive verb [ Confer Prov. English
sprug up to dress neatly,
sprag to prop, adjective , lively.]
To make smart. [ Obsolete]
Sprung Sprung imperfect & past participle of Spring .
Sprung Sprung adjective (Nautical) Said of a spar that has been cracked or strained.
Sprunt Sprunt intransitive verb [ Confer
Sprout ,
intransitive verb ]
To spring up; to germinate; to spring forward or outward. [ Obsolete]
To sprunt up ,
to draw one's self up suddenly, as in anger or defiance; to bristle up. [ Local, U.S.]
Sprunt Sprunt noun 1. Anything short and stiff. [ Obsolete]
2. A leap; a spring. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]
3. A steep ascent in a road. [ Prov. Eng.]
Sprunt Sprunt adjective Active; lively; vigorous. [ Obsolete]
Kersey.
Spruntly Sprunt"ly adverb In a sprunt manner; smartly; vigorously; youthfully. [ Obsolete]
B. Jonson.
Spry Spry adjective [
Compar. Sprier or
Spryer ;
superl. Spriest or
Spryest .] [ Confer dial. Swedish
sprygg lively, skittish, and English
sprag .]
Having great power of leaping or running; nimble; active. [ U.S. & Local Eng.]
She is as spry as a cricket.
S. Judd (Margaret). If I'm not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry .
Emerson.
Spud Spud noun [ Confer Danish
spyd a spear.]
1. A sharp, narrow spade, usually with a long handle, used by farmers for digging up large-rooted weeds; a similarly shaped implement used for various purposes. My spud these nettles from the stone can part.
Swyft. 2. A dagger. [ Obsolete]
olland. 3. Anything short and thick; specifically, a piece of dough boiled in fat. [ Local, U.S.]
Spud Spud noun A potato. [ Colloq.]
Spue Spue transitive verb & i. See Spew .
Spuilzie Spuil"zie noun See Spulzie .
Spuke Spuke noun See Spook .
Spuller Spul"ler noun [ For
spooler .] [ See
Spool .]
One employed to inspect yarn, to see that it is well spun, and fit for the loom. [ Prov. Eng.]
Spulzie Spul"zie noun [ Confer
Spoil .]
Plunder, or booty. [ Written also
spuilzie , and
spulye .]
Sir W. Scott.
Spume Spume noun [ Latin
spuma . Confer
Pumice ,
Spoom .]
Frothy matter raised on liquids by boiling, effervescence, or agitation; froth; foam; scum. Materials dark and crude,
Of spiritous and fiery spume .
Milton.
Spume Spume intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Spumed ;
present participle & verbal noun Spuming .] [ Latin
spumare .]
To froth; to foam.
Spumeous Spume"ous adjective Spumous. [ Obsolete]
r. H. More.
Spumescence Spu·mes"cence noun [ See
Spumescent .]
The state of being foamy; frothiness.
Spumescent Spu·mes"cent adjective [ Latin
spumescens , present participle of
spumescere to grow foamy, from
spuma foam.]
Resembling froth or foam; foaming.
Spumid Spum"id adjective [ Latin
spumidis .]
Spumous; frothy. [ Obsolete]
Spumiferous Spu·mif"er·ous adjective [ Latin
spumifier ;
spuma foam +
ferra bear.]
Producing foam.
Spuminess Spum"i·ness noun The quality or condition of being spumy; spumescence.
Spumous, Spumy Spum"ous, Spum"y adjective [ Latin
spumosus , ...
spuma foam: confer French
spumeux .]
Consisting of, containing, or covered with, froth, scum, or foam; frothy; foamy. The spumous and florid state of the blood.
Arbuthnot. The spumy waves proclaim the watery war.
Dryden.
Spun Spun imperfect & past participle of Spin . Spun hay ,
hay twisted into ropes for convenient carriage, as on a military expedition. --
Spun silk ,
a cheap article produced from floss, or short- fibered, broken, and waste silk, carded and spun, in distinction from the long filaments wound from the cocoon. It is often mixed with cotton. --
Spun yarn (Nautical) ,
a line formed of two or more rope-yarns loosely twisted.
Spunge Spunge (spŭnj)
noun A sponge. [ Obsolete]
Spunk Spunk (spŭnk)
noun [ Gael.
spong , or Ir.
sponc , tinder, sponge; confer Anglo-Saxon
sponge a sponge (L.
spongia ),
spōn a chip. Confer
Sponge ,
Punk .] [ Written also
sponk .]
1. Wood that readily takes fire; touchwood; also, a kind of tinder made from a species of fungus; punk; amadou. Sir T. Browne. 2. An inflammable temper; spirit; mettle; pluck; as, a man of spunk . [ Colloq.]
A lawless and dangerous set, men of spunk , and spirit, and power, both of mind and body.
Prof. Wilson.
Spunky Spunk"y adjective [
Compar. Spunkier ;
superl. Spunkiest .]
Full of spunk; quick; spirited. [ Colloq.]
Spur Spur noun [ See
Sparrow .]
(Zoology) (a) A sparrow. [ Scot.]
(b) A tern. [ Prov. Eng.]
Spur Spur noun [ Middle English
spure , Anglo-Saxon
spura ,
spora ; akin to Dutch
spoor , German
sporn , Old High German
sporo , Icelandic
spori , Danish
spore , Swedish
sporre , and to Anglo-Saxon
spor a trace, footstep,
spyrian to trace, track, examine, and English
spurn . √171. Confer
Sparrow ,
Spere ,
Spoor ,
Spurn .]
1. An implement secured to the heel, or above the heel, of a horseman, to urge the horse by its pressure. Modern spurs have a small wheel, or rowel, with short points. Spurs were the badge of knighthood. And on her feet a pair of spurs large.
Chaucer. 2. That which goads to action; an incitement. Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise
(That last infirmity of noble mind)
To scorn delights and live laborious days.
Milton. 3. Something that projects; a snag. 4. One of the large or principal roots of a tree. Shak. 5. (Zoology) Any stiff, sharp spine, as on the wings and legs of certain burds, on the legs of insects, etc.; especially, the spine on a cock's leg. 6. A mountain that shoots from any other mountain, or range of mountains, and extends to some distance in a lateral direction, or at right angles. 7. A spiked iron worn by seamen upon the bottom of the boot, to enable them to stand upon the carcass of a whale, to strip off the blubber. 8. (Carp.) A brace strengthening a post and some connected part, as a rafter or crossbeam; a strut. 9. (Architecture) (a) The short wooden buttress of a post. (b) A projection from the round base of a column, occupying the angle of a square plinth upon which the base rests, or bringing the bottom bed of the base to a nearly square form. It is generally carved in leafage. 10. (Botany) (a) Any projecting appendage of a flower looking like a spur. Gray. (b) Ergotized rye or other grain. [ R.]
11. (Fort.) A wall that crosses a part of a rampart and joins to an inner wall. 12. (Shipbuilding) (a) A piece of timber fixed on the bilge ways before launching, having the upper ends bolted to the vessel's side. (b) A curved piece of timber serving as a half to support the deck where a whole beam can not be placed. Spur fowl (Zoology) ,
any one of several species of Asiatic gallinaceous birds of the genus Galloperdix , allied to the jungle fowl. The males have two or more spurs on each leg. --
Spur gear (Machinery) ,
a cogwheel having teeth which project radially and stand parallel to the axis; a spur wheel. --
Spur gearing ,
gearing in which spur gears are used. See under Gearing . --
Spur pepper .
(Botany) See the Note under Capsicum . --
Spur wheel .
Same as Spur gear , above.
Spur Spur transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Spurred ;
present participle & verbal noun Spurring .]
1. To prick with spurs; to incite to a more hasty pace; to urge or goad; as, to spur a horse. 2. To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object; to incite; to stimulate; to instigate; to impel; to drive. Love will not be spurred to what it loathes.
Shak. 3. To put spurs on; as, a spurred boot.
Spur Spur intransitive verb To spur on one' horse; to travel with great expedition; to hasten; hence, to press forward in any pursuit. "Now
spurs the lated traveler."
Shak. The Parthians shall be there,
And, spurring from the fight, confess their fear.
Dryden. The roads leading to the capital were covered with multitudes of yeomen, spurring hard to Westminster.
Macaulay. Some bold men, . . . by spurring on, refine themselves.
Grew.
Spur Spur noun 1. (Mining) A branch of a vein. 2. The track of an animal, as an otter; a spoor.
Spur-royal Spur"-roy`al noun A gold coin, first made in the reign of Edward IV., having a star on the reverse resembling the rowel of a spur. In the reigns of Elizabeth and of James I., its value was fifteen shillings. [ Written also
spur-rial , and
spur-ryal .]
Spur-shell Spur"-shell` noun (Zoology) Any one of several species of handsome gastropod shells of the genus Trochus , or Imperator . The shell is conical, with the margin toothed somewhat like the rowel of a spur.
Spur-winged Spur"-winged` adjective (Zoology) Having one or more spurs on the bend of the wings. Spur-winged goose (Zoology) ,
any one of several species of long-legged African geese of the genus Plectropterus and allied genera, having a strong spur on the bend of the wing, as the Gambo goose ( P. Gambensis ) and the Egyptian, or Nile, goose ( Alopochen Ægyptiaca ). --
Spur-winged plover (Zoology) ,
an Old World plover ( Hoplopterus spinosus ) having a sharp spur on the bend of the wing. It inhabits Northern Africa and the adjacent parts of Asia and Europe.
Spurgall Spur"gall` noun A place galled or excoriated by much using of the spur.
Spurgall Spur"gall` transitive verb To gall or wound with a spur.
Spurge Spurge transitive verb [ Etymol. uncertain.]
To emit foam; to froth; -- said of the emission of yeast from beer in course of fermentation. [ Obsolete]
W. Cartright.
Spurge Spurge noun [ Old French
espurge , French
épurge , from Old French
espurgier to purge, Latin
expurgare . See
Expurgate ,
Purge .]
(Botany) Any plant of the genus Euphorbia. See Euphorbia . Spurge flax ,
an evergreen shrub ( Daphne Gnidium ) with crowded narrow leaves. It is native of Southern Europe. --
Spurge laurel ,
a European shrub ( Daphne Laureola ) with oblong evergreen leaves. --
Spurge nettle .
See under Nettle . --
Spurge olive ,
an evergreen shrub ( Daphne oleoides ) found in the Mediterranean region.
Spurgewort Spurge"wort` noun (Botany) Any euphorbiaceous plant. Lindley.
Spurging Spur"ging noun [ See 2d
Spurge .]
A purging. [ Obsolete]
B. Jonson.
Spurious Spu"ri·ous adjective [ Latin
spurius .]
1. Not proceeding from the true source, or from the source pretended; not genuine; false; adulterate. 2. Not legitimate; bastard; as, spurious issue. "Her
spurious firstborn."
Milton. Spurious primary , or
Spurious quill (Zoology) ,
the first, or outer, primary quill when rudimentary or much reduced in size, as in certain singing birds. --
Spurious wing (Zoology) ,
the bastard wing, or alula. Syn. -- Counterfeit; false; adulterate; supposititious; fictitious; bastard. --
Spu"ri*ous*ly ,
adverb --
Spu"ri*ous*ness ,
noun
Spurless Spur"less adjective Having no spurs.
Spurling Spur"ling noun [ See
Sparling .]
(Zoology) A tern. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]
Tusser.
Spurling-line Spur"ling-line` noun [ Confer Prov. English
spurling the rut of a wheel, a cart rut, Anglo-Saxon
spor a track, trace, English
spoor . Scot.
spurl to sprawl.]
(Nautical) The line which forms the communication between the steering wheel and the telltale.
Spurn Spurn transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Spurned ;
present participle & verbal noun Spurning .] [ Middle English
spurnen to kick against, to stumble over, Anglo-Saxon
spurnan to kick, offend; akin to
spura spur, Old Saxon & Old High German spurnan to kick, Icelandic
spyrna , Latin
spernere to despise, Sanskrit
sphur to jerk, to push. √171. See
Spur .]
1. To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. [ The bird] with his foot will spurn adown his cup.
Chaucer. I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Shak. 2. To reject with disdain; to scorn to receive or accept; to treat with contempt. What safe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn .
Shak. Domestics will pay a more cheerful service when they find themselves not spurned because fortune has laid them at their master's feet.
Locke.
Spurn Spurn intransitive verb 1. To kick or toss up the heels. The miller spurned at a stone.
Chaucer. The drunken chairman in the kennel spurns .
Gay. 2. To manifest disdain in rejecting anything; to make contemptuous opposition or resistance. Nay, more, to spurn at your most royal image.
Shak.
Spurn Spurn noun 1. A kick; a blow with the foot. [ R.]
What defence can properly be used in such a despicable encounter as this but either the slap or the spurn ?
Milton. 2. Disdainful rejection; contemptuous tratment. The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes.
Shak. 3. (Mining) A body of coal left to sustain an overhanding mass.
Spurn-water Spurn"-wa`ter noun (Nautical) A channel at the end of a deck to restrain the water.