spring

Syllabification: (spring)

Pronunciation: /spriNG/

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Definition of spring

verb (past sprang /spraNG/ or sprung /sprəNG/; past participle sprung)

1 [no object] move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward:I sprang out of bed figurativethey sprang to her defense
move rapidly or suddenly from a constrained position by or as if by the action of a spring:the drawer sprang open
operate suddenly by means of a mechanism: [no object]:the engine sprang into life
[with object] cause (a game bird) to rise from cover.
[with object] informal bring about the escape or release of (a prisoner):the president sought to spring the hostages

2 [no object] (spring from) originate or arise from:madness and creativity could spring from the same source
appear suddenly or unexpectedly from:tears sprang from his eyes
(spring up) suddenly develop or appear:a terrible storm sprang up
[with object] (spring something on) present or propose something suddenly or unexpectedly to (someone):we decided to spring a surprise on them

3 [with object] (usually as adjective sprung) cushion or fit (a vehicle or item of furniture) with springs:a fully sprung mattress

4 [no object] (especially of wood) become warped or split.
[with object] (of a boat) suffer splitting of (a mast or other part).

5 [no object] (spring for) North American informal pay for, especially as a treat for someone else:he’s never offered to spring for dinner
[with object] archaic spend (money):he might spring a few pennies more

noun

1the season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November:in spring the garden is a feast of blossom [as modifier]:spring rain figurativehe was in the spring of his years
Astronomy the period from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice.
short for spring tide.

2a resilient device, typically a helical metal coil, that can be pressed or pulled but returns to its former shape when released, used chiefly to exert constant tension or absorb movement.
the ability to spring back strongly; elasticity:the mattress has lost its spring

3 [in singular] a sudden jump upward or forward:with a sudden spring, he leapt onto the table
informal dated an escape or release from prison.

4a place where water or oil wells up from an underground source, or the basin or flow formed in such a way: [as modifier]:spring water
the origin or a source of something:the place was a spring of musical talent

5an upward curvature of a ship’s deck planking from the horizontal.
a split in a wooden plank or spar under strain.

Phrases

spring a leak: (of a boat or container) develop a leak.
[originally a phrase in nautical use, referring to timbers springing out of position]
spring a trap: cause a trap for catching animals to close suddenly.; trick someone into doing something:she decided to spring the trap after noticing that her husband was behaving erratically

Derivatives

springless
springlike

Origin:

Old English spring (noun), springan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German springen. Early use in the senses 'head of a well' and 'rush out in a stream' gave rise to the figurative use 'originate'

In British English the standard past tense is sprang (she sprang forward), while in US English the past can be either sprang or sprung (I sprung out of bed). In both British and US English, the past participle is always sprung (by late aftenoon, the boat had sprung another leak).

spring in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of spring in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

spring

verb (past sprang /spraNG/ or sprung /sprəNG/; past participle sprung)

noun

Phrases

spring a leak

spring a trap

Derivatives

springless

springlike

Origin:

spring in other Oxford dictionaries

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