spring

[ spring ]

verb (used without object)

, sprang or, often, sprung; sprung; spring·ing.

1. to rise, leap, move, or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position:

   to spring into the air; a tiger about to spring.

   Synonyms: vault, hop, bound, jump

2. to be released from a constrained position, as by resilient or elastic force or from the action of a spring:

   A trap springs. The door sprang open and in he walked.

   Synonyms: rebound, recoil

3. to issue forth suddenly, as water, blood, sparks, fire, etc. (often followed by forth, out, or up ):

   Blood sprang from the wound.

   Synonyms: fly, dart, shoot

4. to come into being, rise, or arise within a short time (usually followed by up ):

   Industries sprang up in the suburbs.

   Synonyms: originate, start

5. to come into being by growth, as from a seed or germ, bulb, root, etc.; grow, as plants.
6. to proceed or originate from a specific source or cause.

   Synonyms: flow, issue, emanate, emerge

7. to have as one's birth or lineage; be descended, as from a person, family, stock, etc.; come from:

   to spring from ancient aristocracy.

8. to rise or extend upward, as a spire.
9. to take an upward course or curve from a point of support, as an arch.
10. to come or appear suddenly, as if at a bound:

    An objection sprang to mind.

11. to start or rise from cover, as a pheasant, woodcock, or the like.
12. to become bent or warped, as boards.

    Synonyms: warp, bend

13. to shift or work loose, as parts of a mechanism, structure, etc.:

    The board sprang from the fence during the storm.

14. to explode, as a mine.
15. Archaic. to begin to appear, as day, light, etc.; dawn.

verb (used with object)

, sprang or, often, sprung; sprung; spring·ing.

1. to cause to spring.
2. to cause to fly back, move, or act, as by resiliency, elastic force, a spring, etc.:

   to spring a lock.

3. to cause to shift out of place, work loose, warp, split, or crack:

   Moisture sprang the board from the fence.

4. to split or crack:

   The ship sprang its keel on a rock.

5. to develop by or as by splitting or cracking:

   The boat sprang a leak.

6. to bend by force, or force in by bending, as a resilient slat or bar.
7. to stretch or bend (a spring or other resilient device) beyond its elastic tolerance:

   This clip has been sprung.

8. to bring out, disclose, produce, make, etc., suddenly:

   to spring a joke.

9. to leap over.
10. Slang. to secure the release of (someone) from confinement, as of jail, military service, or the like.
11. Nautical. to move (a vessel) into or out of a berth by pulling on the offshore end of a warp made fast to the pier.
12. to explode (a mine).

noun

1. a leap, jump, or bound.
2. a sudden movement caused by the release of something elastic.
3. an elastic or bouncing quality:

   There is a spring in his walk.

4. elasticity or resilience:

   This board has spring in it.

   Synonyms: buoyancy, resilience

5. a structural defect or injury caused by a warp, crack, etc.
6. an issue of water from the earth, taking the form, on the surface, of a small stream or standing as a pool or small lake.
7. the place of such an issue:

   mineral springs.

8. a source or fountainhead of something:

   a spring of inspiration.

   Synonyms: head, origin

9. an elastic contrivance or body, as a strip or wire of steel coiled spirally, that recovers its shape after being compressed, bent, or stretched.
10. the season between winter and summer: in the Northern Hemisphere from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice.
11. (in temperate zones) the season of the year following winter and characterized by the budding of trees, growth of plants, the onset of warmer weather, etc.
12. the first stage and freshest period:

    the spring of life.

13. sometimes initial capital letter. a period of growth, recovery, or regeneration (usually used in combination):

    signs of an economic spring.

14. usually initial capital letter.
    1. a popular movement calling for liberal reforms and opposing authoritarian restrictions on freedom and information access (usually used in combination): Prague Spring, Arab Spring.

       the brief Seoul Spring of 1979–80; the Academic Spring’s goal of free access to published research.

    2. a period of liberalization or democratization.
15. Nautical.
    1. warp ( def 16 ).
    2. a line from the quarter of a vessel to an anchor on the bottom, used to hold the vessel at its mooring, broadside to the current.
16. Also called springing. Architecture.
    1. the point at which an arch or dome rises from its support.
    2. the rise or the angle of the rise of an arch.
17. Archaic. the dawn, as of day, light, etc.

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or suitable for the season of spring:

   spring flowers.

   Synonyms: vernal

2. resting on or containing mechanical springs.

verb phrase

1. Informal. to pay for; treat someone to.

spring

/ sprɪŋ /

verb

1. to move or cause to move suddenly upwards or forwards in a single motion
2. to release or be released from a forced position by elastic force

   the bolt sprang back

3. tr to leap or jump over
4. intr to come, issue, or arise suddenly
5. intr (of a part of a mechanism, etc) to jump out of place
6. to make (wood, etc) warped or split or (of wood, etc) to become warped or split
7. to happen or cause to happen unexpectedly

   to spring a surprise

   the boat sprung a leak

8. intr to develop or originate

   the idea sprang from a chance meeting

9. intrusually foll byfrom to be descended

   he sprang from peasant stock

10. introften foll byup to come into being or appear suddenly

    factories springing up

11. tr (of a gun dog) to rouse (game) from cover
12. intr (of game or quarry) to start or rise suddenly from cover
13. intr to appear to have a strong upward movement

    the beam springs away from the pillar

14. to explode (a mine) or (of a mine) to explode
15. tr to provide with a spring or springs
16. informal.
    tr to arrange the escape of (someone) from prison
17. archaic.
    intr (of daylight or dawn) to begin to appear

noun

1. the act or an instance of springing
2. a leap, jump, or bound
3. 1. the quality of resilience; elasticity
   2. ( as modifier )

      spring steel

4. the act or an instance of moving rapidly back from a position of tension
5. 1. a natural outflow of ground water, as forming the source of a stream
   2. ( as modifier )

      spring water

6. 1. a device, such as a coil or strip of steel, that stores potential energy when it is compressed, stretched, or bent and releases it when the restraining force is removed
   2. ( as modifier )

      a spring mattress

7. a structural defect such as a warp or bend
8. 1. sometimes capital the season of the year between winter and summer, astronomically from the March equinox to the June solstice in the N hemisphere and from the September equinox to the December solstice in the S hemisphere
   2. ( as modifier ) vernal

      spring showers

9. the earliest or freshest time of something
10. a source or origin
11. one of a set of strips of rubber, steel, etc, running down the inside of the handle of a cricket bat, hockey stick, etc
12. Also calledspring line nautical a mooring line, usually one of a pair that cross amidships
13. a flock of teal
14. architect another name for springing

spring

/ sprĭng /

1. A device, such as a coil of wire, that returns to its original shape after being compressed or stretched. Because of their ability to return to their original shape, springs are used to store energy, as in mechanical clocks, and to absorb or lessen energy, as in the suspension system of vehicles.
2. A small stream of water flowing naturally from the Earth.

Derived Forms

• ˈspringless, adjective
• ˈspringˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• springlike adjective
• outspring verb (used with object) outsprang or, often, outsprung outsprung outspringing
• re·spring verb resprang or, often, resprung respringing
• under·spring noun
• under·spring verb (used without object) undersprang or undersprung undersprung underspringing

Word History and Origins

Origin of spring¹

First recorded before 900; (for the verb) Middle English springen, Old English springan; cognate with Dutch, German springen, Old Norse springa; (for the noun) Middle English spring(e), Old English spring, spryng “issue of a stream”; compare Middle Low German, Old High German, Danish, Swedish spring

Word History and Origins

Origin of spring¹

Old English springan; related to Old Norse springa, Old High German springan, Sanskrit sprhayati he desires, Old Slavonic pragu grasshopper

Example Sentences

Didn’t he remember Michael Jordan’s flu game from the previous spring, when the Chicago Bulls superstar scored 38 points in the NBA Finals?

From Los Angeles Times

Putting this all together and inflation could be on the up into spring next year, not far off 3%.

From BBC

In a consultation in spring 2023, it added, zombie knife retailers did not provide data on sales or stock.

From BBC

He said that the state pension would rise by £470 in the spring and that pensioners would be better off.

From BBC

Further details of the proposals are expected next spring, when the government is due to publish a paper on its plans.

From BBC