spawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈspȯn 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• create
• cause
• generate
• bring
• produce
• prompt
• do

Noun

• offspring

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

Following the original Battlestar Galactica‘s run from 1978 to 1980 on ABC, Sci Fi refreshed the franchise with a 2-episode limited series in 2003, which spawned four more seasons from 2004 to 2009, as well as the 2010 spin-off Caprica. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2025

Its most recent iteration is spawned by its new owners, an American couple with two young children who recently moved across the pond. —Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2025

Noun

The movie subsequently gave its monsters a more secular origin story, the spawn of science run amok rather than some malevolent force of evil. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2025

This debut from a precocious Brooklynite—also known as the frontman of Geese—feels like a bunch of late greats (Leonard Cohen, Dave Berman) got together with some hep alien spawn. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for spawn

• aune
• bon
• bonne
• brawn
• chon
• con
• conn
• crohn
• dawn
• drawn
• fawn
• gone

Kids Definition

spawn

1 of 2 verb

ˈspȯn 

ˈspän

1

: to deposit or fertilize eggs

fish swimming upstream to spawn

2

: to produce young especially in large numbers

3

: generate, bring forth

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