sprue

¹

[ sproo ]

noun

1. Metallurgy.
   1. an opening through which molten metal is poured into a mold.
   2. the waste metal left in this opening after casting.
2. Metalworking. a channel in a forging die permitting the die to clear that part of the rough piece not being forged.

verb (used with object)

, sprued, spru·ing.

1. to cut the sprues from (a casting).

sprue

²

[ sproo ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a chronic disease, occurring chiefly in the tropics, resulting from malabsorption of nutrients from the small intestine and characterized by diarrhea, ulceration of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, and a smooth, shining tongue; psilosis.

sprue

¹

/ spruː /

noun

1. dialect.
   an inferior type of asparagus

sprue

²

/ spruː /

noun

1. a chronic disease, esp of tropical climates, characterized by flatulence, diarrhoea, frothy foul-smelling stools, and emaciation

sprue

³

/ spruː /

noun

1. a vertical channel in a mould through which plastic or molten metal is introduced or out of which it flows when the mould is filled
2. plastic or metal that solidifies in a sprue

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprue¹

First recorded in 1820–30; origin uncertain

Origin of sprue²

1815–25; < Dutch spruw; cognate with Middle Low German sprūwe tumor

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprue¹

C19: of unknown origin

Origin of sprue²

C19: from Dutch spruw; related to Middle Low German sprüwe tumour

Origin of sprue³

C19: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

The fifth of six children, he contracted rickets and tropical sprue, an intestinal disorder, at 4, both caused by vitamin deficiencies from his limited diet, and suffered from brittle bones throughout his life.

From Los Angeles Times

Buckets and barrels hold sprue — the overflow from glass molds — and other chunks and shards sorted by color.

From New York Times

Image: Drop Take “sprue marks,” the small imperfection that’s left on a keycap where the molten plastic flowed into its mold.

From The Verge

Before the war, Rhoads worked at Rockefeller University in New York City, and he travelled to Puerto Rico to study conditions such as anaemia and tropical sprue.

From Nature

Ms. Shechet said it represented a sprue, a tool for casting molten material like porcelain.

From New York Times