Spurner Spurn"er noun One who spurns.
Spurred Spurred adjective 1. Wearing spurs; furnished with a spur or spurs; having shoots like spurs. 2. Affected with spur, or ergot; as, spurred rye. Spurred corolla (Botany) ,
a corolla in which there are one or more petals with a spur.
Spurrer Spur"rer noun One who spurs.
Spurrey Spur"rey noun (Botany) See Spurry .
Spurrier Spur"ri·er noun One whose occupation is to make spurs. B. Jonson. "The saddlers and
spurriers would be ruined by thousands."
Macaulay.
Spurry Spur"ry noun [ Dutch or Old French
spurrie ; confer German
spergel , New Latin
spergula .]
(Botany) An annual herb ( Spergula arvensis ) with whorled filiform leaves, sometimes grown in Europe for fodder. [ Written also
spurrey .]
Sand spurry (Botany) ,
any low herb of the genus Lepigonum , mostly found in sandy places.
Spurt Spurt intransitive verb [ Written also
spirt , and originally the same word as
sprit ; Middle English
sprutten to sprout, Anglo-Saxon
spryttan . See
Sprit ,
intransitive verb ,
Sprout ,
intransitive verb ]
To gush or issue suddenly or violently out in a stream, as liquor from a cask; to rush from a confined place in a small stream or jet; to spirt. Thus the small jet, which hasty hands unlock,
Spurts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock.
Pope.
Spurt Spurt transitive verb To throw out, as a liquid, in a stream or jet; to drive or force out with violence, as a liquid from a pipe or small orifice; as, to spurt water from the mouth.
Spurt Spurt noun 1. A sudden or violent ejection or gushing of a liquid, as of water from a tube, orifice, or other confined place, or of blood from a wound; a jet; a spirt. 2. A shoot; a bud. [ Obsolete]
Holland. 3. Fig.: A sudden outbreak; as, a spurt of jealousy. Spurt grass (Botany) ,
a rush fit for basket work. Dr. Prior.
Spurt Spurt noun [ Confer Icelandic
sprette a spurt, spring, run,
spretta to sprit, spring.]
A sudden and energetic effort, as in an emergency; an increased exertion for a brief space. The long, steady sweep of the so-called "paddle" tried him almost as much as the breathless strain of the spurt .
T. Hughes.
Spurt Spurt intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Spurted ;
present participle & verbal noun Spurting .]
To make a sudden and violent exertion, as in an emergency.
Spurtle Spur"tle transitive verb [ Freq. of
spurt .]
To spurt or shoot in a scattering manner. [ Obsolete]
Drayton.
Spurway Spur"way` noun [ Prov. English
spoor a track, trace (AS.
spor ) +
way .]
A bridle path. [ R.]
Sput Sput noun (Steam Boiler) An annular reënforce, to strengthen a place where a hole is made.
Sputation Spu·ta"tion noun [ Latin
sputare to spit, v. intens. from
spuere to spit: confer French
sputation .]
The act of spitting; expectoration. Harvey.
Sputative Spu"ta·tive adjective Inclined to spit; spitting much. Sir H. Wotton.
Spute Spute transitive verb [ Abbrev. from
dispute .]
To dispute; to discuss. [ Obsolete]
Wyclif.
Sputter Sput"ter intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Sputtered ;
present participle & verbal noun Sputtering .] [ From the root of
spout or
spit to eject from the mputh. Confer
Splutter .]
1. To spit, or to emit saliva from the mouth in small, scattered portions, as in rapid speaking. 2. To utter words hastily and indistinctly; to speak so rapidly as to emit saliva. They could neither of them speak their rage, and so fell a sputtering at one another, like two roasting apples.
Congreve. 3. To throw out anything, as little jets of steam, with a noise like that made by one sputtering. Like the green wood . . . sputtering in the flame.
Dryden.
Sputter Sput"ter transitive verb To spit out hastily by quick, successive efforts, with a spluttering sound; to utter hastily and confusedly, without control over the organs of speech. In the midst of caresses, and without the last pretend incitement, to sputter out the basest accusations.
Swift.
Sputter Sput"ter noun Moist matter thrown out in small detached particles; also, confused and hasty speech.
Sputterer Sput"ter·er noun One who sputters.
Sputum Spu"tum noun ;
plural Sputa . [ Latin , from
spuere ,
sputum , to spit.]
That which is expectorated; a salival discharge; spittle; saliva.
Spy Spy transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Spied ;
present participle & verbal noun Spying .] [ Middle English
spien ,
espien , Old French
espier , French
épier , Old High German
speh...n , German
spähen ; akin to Latin
specere to see, Sanskrit
spa ... 169. Confer
Espy , v.t.,
Aspect ,
Auspice ,
Circumspect ,
Conspicuouc ,
Despise ,
Frontispiece ,
Inspect ,
Prospect ,
Respite ,
Scope ,
Scecimen ,
Spectacle ,
Specter ,
Speculate ,
Spice ,
Spite ,
Suspicion .]
To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see. One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration.
Swift. 2. To discover by close search or examination. Look about with yout eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England.
Latimer. 3. To explore; to view; inspect; and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out . Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof.
Num. xxi. 32.
Spy Spy intransitive verb To search narrowly; to scrutinize. It is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses.
Shak.
Spy Spy noun ;
plural Spies . [ See
Spy ,
v. , and confer
Espy ,
noun ]
1. One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others. "These wretched
spies of wit."
Dryden. 2. (Mil.) A person sent secretly into an enemy's camp, territory, or fortifications, to inspect his works, ascertain his strength, movements, or designs, and to communicate such intelligence to the proper officer. Spy money ,
money paid to a spy; the reward for private or secret intelligence regarding the enemy. --
Spy Wednesday (Eccl.) ,
the Wednesday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; -- so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot. Syn. -- See
Emissary , and
Scout .
Spyboat Spy"boat` noun A boat sent to make discoveries and bring intelligence. Arbuthnot.
Spyglass Spy"glass noun A small telescope for viewing distant terrestrial objects.
Spyism Spy"ism noun Act or business of spying. [ R.]
Spynace Spy"nace (?; 48),
Spyne noun (Nautical) See Pinnace , noun , 1 (a) .
Squab Squab adjective [ Confer dial. Swedish
sqvabb a soft and fat body,
sqvabba a fat woman, Icelandic
kvap jelly, jellylike things, and and English
quab .]
1. Fat; thick; plump; bulky. Nor the squab daughter nor the wife were nice.
Betterton. 2. Unfledged; unfeathered; as, a squab pigeon. King.
Squab Squab noun 1. (Zoology) A neatling of a pigeon or other similar bird, esp. when very fat and not fully fledged. 2. A person of a short, fat figure. Gorgonious sits abdominous and wan,
Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan.
Cowper. 3. A thickly stuffed cushion; especially, one used for the seat of a sofa, couch, or chair; also, a sofa. Punching the squab of chairs and sofas.
Dickens. On her large squab you find her spread.
Pope.
Squab Squab adverb [ Confer dial. Swedish
squapp , a word imitative of a splash, and English
squab fat, unfledged.]
With a heavy fall; plump. [ Vulgar]
The eagle took the tortoise up into the air, and dropped him down, squab , upon a rock.
L'Estrange.
Squab Squab intransitive verb To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke. [ Obsolete]
Squab-chick Squab"-chick` noun (Zoology) A young chicken before it is fully fledged. [ Prov. Eng.]
Squabash Squa·bash" transitive verb To crush; to quash; to squash. [ Colloq. or Slang, Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
Squabbish Squab"bish adjective Thick; fat; heavy.
Squabble Squab"ble intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Squabbled ;
present participle & verbal noun Squabbling .] [ Confer dial. Swedish
skvabbel a dispute,
skvappa to chide.]
1. To contend for superiority in an unseemly maner; to scuffle; to struggle; to wrangle; to quarrel. 2. To debate peevishly; to dispute. The sense of these propositions is very plain, though logicians might squabble a whole day whether they should rank them under negative or affirmative.
I. Watts. Syn. -- To dispute; contend; scuffle; wrangle; quarrel; struggle.
Squabble Squab"ble transitive verb (Print.) To disarrange, so that the letters or lines stand awry or are mixed and need careful readjustment; -- said of type that has been set up.
Squabble Squab"ble noun A scuffle; a wrangle; a brawl.
Squabbler Squab"bler noun One who squabbles; a contentious person; a brawler.
Squabby Squab"by adjective Short and thick; suqabbish.
Squacco Squac"co noun ;
plural Squaccos (Zoology) A heron ( Ardea comata ) found in Asia, Northern Africa, and Southern Europe.
Squad Squad noun [ French
escouade , from Spanish
escuadra , or Italian
squadra , (assumed) Late Latin
exquadrare to square; Latin
ex + quadra a square. See
Square .]
1. (Mil.) A small party of men assembled for drill, inspection, or other purposes. 2. Hence, any small party.
Squad Squad noun Sloppy mud. [ Prov. Eng.]
Tennyson.
Squadron Squad"ron noun [ French
escadron , formerly also
esquadron , or Italian
squadrone . See
Squad .]
1. Primarily, a square; hence, a square body of troops; a body of troops drawn up in a square. [ R.]
Those half-rounding quards
Just met, and, closing, stood in squadron joined.
Milton. 2. (Mil.) A body of cavarly comparising two companies or troops, and averging from one hundred and twenty to two hundred men. 3. (Nautical) A detachment of vessels employed on any particular service or station, under the command of the senior officer; as, the North Atlantic Squadron . Totten. Flying squadron ,
a squadron of observation or practice, that cruises rapidly about from place to place. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Squadroned Squad"roned adjective Formed into squadrons, or squares. [ R.]
Milton.
Squail Squail intransitive verb To throw sticls at cocks; to throw anything about awkwardly or irregularly. [ Prov. Eng.]
Southey.
Squaimous Squai"mous adjective Squeamish. [ Obsolete]
Squali Squa"li noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin
squalus a kind of sea fish.]
(Zoology) The suborder of elasmobranch fishes which comprises the sharks.
Squalid Squal"id adjective [ Latin
squalidus , from
squalere to be foul or filthy.]
Dirty through neglect; foul; filthy; extremely dirty. Uncomed his locks, and squalid his attrie.
Dryden. Those squalid dens, which are the reproach of large capitals.
Macaulay.
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