spawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈspȯn How to pronounce spawn (audio)
ˈspän
spawned; spawning; spawns

intransitive verb

1
: to deposit or fertilize spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers

transitive verb

1
a
: to produce or deposit (eggs)
used of an aquatic animal
b
: to induce (fish) to spawn
c
: to plant with mushroom spawn
2
: bring forth, generate
the idea spawned controversy
spawner noun

spawn

2 of 2

noun

1
: the eggs of aquatic animals (such as fishes or oysters) that lay many small eggs
2
: product, offspring
also : offspring in great numbers
3
: the seed, germ, or source of something
4
: mycelium especially prepared (as in bricks) for propagating mushrooms

Examples of spawn in a Sentence

Verb The health-food craze spawned a multimillion-dollar industry. the incident that spawned a generation of student protests a TV show that spawned a host of imitations Noun Pacific salmon return to Alaskan streams to deposit their spawn. sometimes I think those little brats are the spawn of Satan himself
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The first Bad Boys movie released in 1995 and spawned a 2003 sequel, Bad Boys II. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 In February 2024, a female stingray at an aquarium in North Carolina started showing signs of pregnancy while sharing her tank with several male sharks, spawning theories that the male sharks had impregnated her. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 As far back as 1900 B.C., the Minoans of Crete were already preparing a purple dye from marine snails, spawning an industry that then caught on and flourished throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 After a mandatory evacuation order, crews released vinyl chloride into a trench and burned it off – averting an explosion but spawning new health concerns. Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 The aforementioned proximity ignites an innate rivalry, something spawned culturally and not contrived like most things in modern cricket. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, the latest available data show a sharp drop in the numbers of Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River to spawn. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Tennessean YouTube angler Alex Rudd agrees with Menendez that the 23rd is prime time for spawning activity in this region. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 21 Feb. 2024 How to Train Your Dragon (2010) From the creators of Shrek, this Dreamworks Animation hit has spawned several sequels, a graphic novel, a television series, and even an upcoming live-action remake. Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
The dams generated power that fueled western expansion but devastated the salmon population, which could no longer swim upstream to spawn. Ben Tracy, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The agency was skeptical of claims that Sites would help to reduce water temperatures on the Feather and American rivers, where higher temperatures have been lethal for salmon spawn. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Open your calendar app, because below are the seven best days of the 2024 bass spawn. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 21 Feb. 2024 Indiana's decisions also could affect wildlife throughout the watershed, Boritt said, including the more than 80 species of Great Lakes fish that rely on wetlands to spawn, feed or protect their larvae. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2024 Risks of collisions with tidal turbines aside, Scott has also looked into whether the extraction of tidal energy could influence the tide itself — and in turn, impact the well-being of small fish larvae or species that follow the tide to spawn. Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 Adult Kokanee, typically after their third or fourth growing season, head up tributaries to spawn. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024 Like bass, pike move into shallow water to spawn, putting them within range for shore fishermen. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Once the project is complete, the Klamath will run from Oregon to northwestern California largely unimpeded, allowing sediment, organic matter, and its restive waters to flow freely downriver while fish like salmon, trout, and other migratory species leap and wriggle their way upstream to spawn. Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spawn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French espandre to spread out, shed, scatter, spawn, from Latin expandere to expand

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spawn was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near spawn

Cite this Entry

“Spawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spawn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spawn

1 of 2 verb
ˈspȯn How to pronounce spawn (audio)
ˈspän
1
: to deposit or fertilize eggs
fish swimming upstream to spawn
2
: to produce young especially in large numbers
3
spawner noun

spawn

2 of 2 noun
1
: the eggs of aquatic animals (as fishes or oysters) that lay many small eggs
2
: product sense 2, offspring
also : something produced in large quantities

More from Merriam-Webster on spawn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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