spoor

1 of 2

noun

ˈspu̇r How to pronounce spoor (audio)
ˈspȯr
plural spoor or spoors
1
: a track, a trail, a scent, or droppings especially of a wild animal
2
: a trace by which the progress of someone or something may be followed

spoor

2 of 2

verb

spoored; spooring; spoors

transitive verb

: to track by a spoor

intransitive verb

: to track something by its spoor

Examples of spoor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
On Twitter, people speak scoffingly of canceling themselves, as a joke or a pre-emptive measure, since presumably any of us could be canceled at any time, living in our glass Instagrams, leaving a spoor of digitized gaffes behind us. New York Times, 3 Dec. 2020 Snow had fallen less than an hour ago, and this spoor is on top of it. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 17 Jan. 2020 The previous method used spoor (paw prints, also called pugmarks, and scat), which often led to the same animal being counted multiple times. National Geographic, 20 Apr. 2016 On top goes chaat masala, a collage of spices haunted by the smoky spoor of black salt; amchur, tart green mango powder; and asafetida, with its faint evocation of meat. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spoor.' 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

Noun

Afrikaans, from Dutch; akin to Old English spor footprint, spoor, spurnan to kick — more at spurn entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of spoor was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near spoor

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

spoor

noun
ˈspu̇(ə)r,
ˈspō(ə)r,
ˈspȯ(ə)r
: a track, a trail, a scent, or droppings especially of a wild animal

More from Merriam-Webster on spoor

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!