spurt

1 of 4

verb (1)

spurted; spurting; spurts

intransitive verb

: to gush forth : spout

transitive verb

: to expel in a stream or jet : squirt
the faucet spurts water

spurt

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a sudden gush : jet

spurt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a short period of time : moment
2
a
: a sudden brief burst of effort, activity, or development
a spurt of work
a growth spurt
b
: a sharp or sudden increase in business activity

spurt

4 of 4

verb (2)

spurted; spurting; spurts

intransitive verb

: to make a spurt

Examples of spurt in a Sentence

Verb (1) water spurted from the garden hose just as I was checking the nozzle the pipe suddenly cracked and began spurting water Noun (2) a spurt of economic growth for the first quarter of the year a sudden spurt of blood rushed out from the opened wound
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But Treasury yields also spurted upward following the latest report on the U.S. economy to blow past expectations. Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024 Treasury yields spurted higher after a report said U.S. manufacturing unexpectedly returned to growth last month. Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spurt 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spurt.' 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 (1)

perhaps akin to Middle High German spürzen to spit, Old English -sprūtan to sprout — more at sprout

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1570, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1644, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spurt was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near spurt

Cite this Entry

“Spurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spurt. Accessed 31 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

spurt

1 of 4 verb
1
: to pour out suddenly : spout
2

spurt

2 of 4 noun
: a sudden pouring out : jet

spurt

3 of 4 noun
1
: a short period of time : moment
2
: a brief burst of effort, activity, or development
a spurt of work
a growth spurt

spurt

4 of 4 verb
: to make a spurt

More from Merriam-Webster on spurt

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