Spring

/ˈspɹɪŋ/ · verb

Meaning

(intransitive) To move or burst forth..

Definitions by Sense

1. (intransitive) To move or burst forth.
2. (transitive) To cause to spring (all senses).
3. (transitive) To leap over.
4. (obsolete, of horses) To breed with, to impregnate.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To wet, to moisten.
6. (intransitive, now usually with "apart" or "open") To burst into pieces, to explode, to shatter.
7. (obsolete, military) To go off.
8. (ambitransitive, nautical, usually perfective) To crack.

Example Sentences

The boat sprang a leak and began to sink.

...þe wound þat was springand with huge stremes of blude...

I sprang the fence, and was soon in the village street.

...[they] sought the fairest stoned horses to spring their mares...

On the 22nd the mines sprang, and took very good effect.

The whole contraption appears liable to spring apart at any moment.

The Edward sprang hir foremast.

For generations of men the springer spaniel has been looked upon as the dog for springing pheasants in covert and finding and retrieving dead birds or winged runners when ordered to do so. The properly broken dog will not chase, but drop to wing and shot.

Synonyms for spring

Antonyms for spring

Related Words

Word Forms

• springs
• springing
• sprang
• sprung
• no-table-tags
• glossary
• spring
• -
• springed

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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