spoor

1 of 2

noun

ˈspu̇r 

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

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

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