spawn

[ spawn ]

noun

, plural spawn, spawns.

1. Zoology. the mass of eggs deposited by fishes, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.
2. Mycology. the mycelium of mushrooms, especially of the species grown for the market.
3. Usually Disparaging. a swarming brood; numerous progeny:

   Diners at the restaurant were annoyed by the two inconsiderate parents and their unruly spawn.

4. any person or thing regarded as the offspring of some stock, idea, etc.

adjective

1. of or relating to the spawning of a character or item in a video game: the spawn rate.

   a spawn point;

   the spawn rate.

verb (used without object)

1. to deposit eggs or sperm directly into the water, as fishes.
2. (of a character or item in a video game) to originate at a fixed point in an existing game environment:

   An enemy character just spawned right on top of me!

verb (used with object)

1. to produce (spawn).
2. to give birth to; give rise to:

   His sudden disappearance spawned many rumors.

   Synonyms: beget, yield, generate, engender

3. to produce in large number.
4. to plant with mycelium.

spawn

/ spɔːn /

noun

1. the mass of eggs deposited by fish, amphibians, or molluscs
2. derogatory.
   offspring, product, or yield
3. botany the nontechnical name for mycelium

verb

1. (of fish, amphibians, etc) to produce or deposit (eggs)
2. derogatory.
   (of people) to produce (offspring)
3. tr to produce or engender

spawn

/ spôn /

Noun

1. The eggs of water animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks.
2. Offspring produced in large numbers.

Verb

1. To lay eggs; produce spawn.

Derived Forms

• ˈspawner, noun

Other Words From

• spawner noun
• un·spawned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spawn¹

1350–1400; Middle English spawnen (v.), probably < Anglo-French espaundre ( Old French espandre ) to expand

Word History and Origins

Origin of spawn¹

C14: from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Old French spandre to spread out, expand

Example Sentences

There is a misconception among locals that the small masu found in winter—which they call pestrushka— are a different species entirely from the larger fish—called sima— that come in summer to spawn.

From Popular-Science

The brand took off, becoming a poster child of the e-commerce movement that would spawn many a “Warby Parker of X”s.

From Fortune

Since his Carnegie Mellon team won the DARPA Urban Challenge in 2007 — the race that spawned today’s self-driving movement — he has been one of the industry’s central players, first co-founding Google’s self-driving unit and later leading it.

From Ozy

Now, these communities are counting on art to keep their economies going amid the crisis spawned by the coronavirus pandemic.

From Ozy

In recent years, she adds, Tbilisi has spawned a new crop of free-thinking youngsters planning their own startups.

From Ozy

Well known for his gimmicks, Daylyt entered the stage in a Spawn costume that could stop traffic at Comic Con.

From The Daily Beast

So why is it that this new flurry of celebrity spawn are able to create their own identities while so many others have failed?

From The Daily Beast

The same, however, historically cannot be said for famous spawn turned high-fashion models.

From The Daily Beast

That is not to say that the focus on Cohle and Hart does not spawn two compelling performances.

From The Daily Beast

Replaying sections will spawn enemies in the same place, but what happens then changes from time to time.

From The Daily Beast

They run up into fresh water to spawn, and in the process are scooped out by the basket-load.

From Project Gutenberg

Those in that trough right behind you are just hatching, they're from the first batch of spawn in the early spring run.

From Project Gutenberg

I opened a big-bellied one indeed, and found it full of spawn.

From Project Gutenberg

The salmon go over a hundred miles up to the McCloud River to spawn, and will jump or leap up small falls or rapids in their way.

From Project Gutenberg

Worse than all, too, the common trout deteriorated, for they had fed on the spawn of the salmo eriox.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• create
• generate