spring

verb \ ˈspriŋ \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: spring in a Sentence

Definition of spring

sprang play \ˈspraŋ\ or sprung play \ˈsprəŋ\; sprung; springing play \ˈspriŋ-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 a (1) : dart, shoot

sparks sprang out from the fire

(2) : to be resilient or elastic; also : to move by elastic force

the lid sprang shut

b : to become warped

2 : to issue with speed and force or as a stream

tears spring from our eyes

3 a : to grow as a plant

b : to issue by birth or descent

sprang from the upper class

c : to come into being : arise

towns sprang up across the plains

d archaic : dawn

e : to begin to blow —used with up

a breeze quickly sprang up

4 a : to make a leap or series of leaps

springing across the lawn

b : to leap or jump up suddenly

sprang from their seats

5 : to stretch out in height : rise

6 : pay —used with for

I'll spring for the drinks

transitive verb

1 : to cause to spring

2 a : to undergo or bring about the splitting or cracking of

wind sprang the mast

b : to undergo the opening of (a leak)

3 a : to cause to operate suddenly

spring a trap

b : to apply or insert by bending

c : to bend by force

4 : to leap over

5 : to produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly

6 : to make lame

7 : to release or cause to be released from confinement or custody

sprung them from jail

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

The fox had sprung onto the family's porch and was fighting Pubby for food.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "Southwest Alaska village ‘on edge’ after fox and dog test positive for rabies," 9 June 2018
Much of the current clamor for athlete compensation has sprung from the incredible popularity of college football and basketball on television, and the revenues these sports produce.

— william h. noack and don kusler, star-telegram, "Pro-con: Was Condoleezza Rice right in recommending that college athletes not be paid?," 8 June 2018
Over the last few years, some tasty, fast options have sprung up in Center City.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Hummus options keep spreading | Let's Eat," 6 June 2018
Throughout Nicaragua, barricades have sprung up, blocking roads and snarling traffic, and making the key Pan American highway that links many of the country’s cities impassable.

— juan montes, WSJ, "Nicaragua’s Political Crisis Descends Into ‘Dark Days’," 6 June 2018
Next to Romare Bearden Park, the 217-room Kimpton Tryon Park opened last year, and a 300-room AC Hotel/Residence Inn by Marriott has sprung up atop the EpiCentre entertainment complex.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "A new hotel that will add flair to Charlotte's skyline is under construction uptown," 31 May 2018
In the last year, a smattering of bilateral and multilateral initiatives have sprung up, circumventing the traditional leadership position of the United States.

— jean chemnick, Scientific American, "How the World Is Coping 1 Year After Trump Abandoned Paris Climate Pact," 31 May 2018
Shutterstock A kind of journalistic cottage industry has sprung up since the last presidential election.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Our Towns: How small cities aren’t just surviving, but thriving," 9 May 2018
Venezuelans, many of whom are undernourished, anxiously wait for their monthly delivery, and a thriving black market has sprung up to sell CLAP products.

— scott smith, Houston Chronicle, "ConocoPhillips seeks control of Venezula oil assets to settle $2b award," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of spring

Middle English, from Old English springan; akin to Old High German springan to jump and perhaps to Greek sperchesthai to hasten

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of spring

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence. spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

- an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

- new questions have arisen
- slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

- the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

- the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

- words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

- blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

- reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

- advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

- industries stemming from space research

spring

noun, often attributive

Definition of spring

1 a : a source of supply; especially : a source of water issuing from the ground

b : an ultimate source especially of action or motion

2 : spring tide

3 : a time or season of growth or development; specifically : the season between winter and summer comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of March, April, and May or as reckoned astronomically extending from the March equinox to the June solstice

4 : an elastic body or device that recovers its original shape when released after being distorted

5 a : the act or an instance of leaping up or forward : bound

b (1) : capacity for springing : resilience

(2) : energy, bounce

6 : the point or plane at which an arch or vault curve springs from its impost

—

springlike

play \ˈspriŋ-ˌlīk\ adjective

See spring defined for English-language learners

Examples of spring in a Sentence

We'll plant the seeds next spring.
We've had a rainy spring.
a beautiful day in early spring
The first few weeks of spring were unusually warm.
The mattress is old and some of the springs are broken.
The cushion has lost its spring.

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

His first recruiting class ended up better than expected and his hands-on approach during spring practice was a mild surprise.

— doug haller, azcentral, "Six months in, has ASU football's Herm Edwards changed the narrative?," 12 June 2018
He and the other top picks report at the club's spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona, on Wednesday.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "High hopes: Rangers' top pick Cole Winn wants to emulate legend Nolan Ryan," 12 June 2018
The crustaceans rarely get much further than California, but in spring of 2017, they were spotted on the beaches of Oregon, possibly for the first time.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "Thousands of Tiny Red Crustaceans Strand on California Beach," 12 June 2018
The two quarterbacks with whom Daniels will compete for the starting position, redshirt sophomore Matt Fink and redshirt freshman Jack Sears, didn’t do enough to separate themselves from one another in spring practice.

— dylan hernandez, latimes.com, "A freshman quarterback starting at USC? How the Trojans have come to rely on the potential of JT Daniels," 11 June 2018
In spring of 2017, Reed and several staffers flew business class to South Africa to learn about filmmaking, urban agriculture and to recruit jobs.

— j. scott trubey, ajc, "Invest Atlanta review of $40k spent on Reed South Africa trip stalls," 11 June 2018
Douglas High football coach Willis May brought several of his players to visit the Hurricanes on Saturday during spring practice at UM.

— ted dunnam, Houston Chronicle, "Football: Clear Springs addresses needs in spring workouts," 8 June 2018
Until last week, Savage had been in extended spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays, waiting to see if a spot with a full-season team in their system would open.

— michael osipoff, Post-Tribune, "Good Will: Former Ivy Leaguer Will Savage makes positive first impression with RailCats," 7 June 2018
Sophomore Myles Brennan entered the offseason as a prime candidate to replace Danny Etling, but Brennan didn’t outplay redshirt freshman Lowell Narcisse or junior Justin McMillan in spring practice.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Which Second-Year Coach Will Oversee the Biggest Improvement in 2018?," 6 June 2018

First Known Use of spring

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

spring Synonyms

Synonyms

cradle, font, fountain, fountainhead, origin, root, seedbed, source, well, wellspring;

ground zero, square one;

Other Calendar Terms

antedate, estival, gloaming, luster, sesquicentennial

spring

verb

Definition of spring

sprung play \ˈsprəŋ\; springing play \ˈspriŋ-iŋ\

transitive verb

: to fit with springs

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

Eventually, the top of the net flickered, and Cladoosby and his daughter sprang into action.

— author: john eligon, Anchorage Daily News, "A Supreme Court victory for a tribe that's lost its salmon," 12 June 2018
Popovich might be springing for quite a few big dinners this summer.

— mike finger, San Antonio Express-News, "Pop, Spurs have plenty on this summer’s menu from Kawhi to LeBron," 11 June 2018
In reality, though, Kissinger was springing into action.

— andrew preston, The New Republic, "Will Trump Be Nixon in China?," 11 June 2018
The Oconee County Georgia Sheriff's Office said an 18-year-old male fell from a dam and into the creek and his friend sprung into action in an attempt to save him.

— justin carissimo, CBS News, "Search continues for 2 teens believed to have drowned in Georgia," 2 June 2018
Weah, 18, gave props to the player who started his goal sequence by springing Antonee Robinson for a dash down the left flank.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "What to watch in U.S. men's national team games at Ireland and France," 1 June 2018
Madrigal would also be a nice fit — and the Reds could spring for Singer’s teammate, Jonathan India, as well.

— richard morin, azcentral, "MLB mock draft 2.0: Arizona Diamondbacks select a high school shortstop," 29 May 2018
Vrana sprung Kuznetsov for a breakaway on Washington’s tying goal 52 seconds into the third and finished off Ovechkin’s pass for the game-winner.

— New York Times, "N.H.L. Playoffs: Defending Champion Penguins Pushed to Brink of Elimination," 5 May 2018
Look for the Bengals to be interested with their first pick in the third round or potentially springing for him in the second.

— paul dehner jr., Cincinnati.com, "10 Bengals prospects to track on Friday," 27 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of spring

1821

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Financial Definition of SPRING

spring

noun

What It Is

Springs are false breakouts that can trap the unsuspecting trader. Spring patterns quickly reverse, with the stock or index then often testing the opposite end of the trading range. A spring is a false breakout to the downside. It is so-named because prices "spring" back.

How It Works

Springs are a type of technical pattern named by legendary technician Richard Wycoff. The quality of the spring can be judged by an examination of the degree of penetration of support or resistance, as well as the volume on the day or period this penetration occurred. These four scenarios are possible:

-- Large penetration on large volume
Large penetration on small volume
Small penetration on large volume
Small penetration on small volume

For a spring, a small penetration on small volume is bullish, as it indicates there are few traders who are willing to sell their shares below support.

Springs provide the swing trader with good opportunities. First, they can provide a stop loss, which should be placed just below the extreme of the day the spring occurred. They can also create a target, since the stock is likely to test the opposite end of the trading range.

Why It Matters

Being able to accurately recognize a spring can turn a potential threat from a false breakouts into an opportunity. Swing traders should always watch the activity following a breakout to confirm whether a stock is behaving as it should. If not, then it might still provide an excellent trading situation -- if you spot a spring in the making.

Source: Investing Answers

SPRING Defined for English Language Learners

spring

noun

Definition of spring for English Language Learners

: the season between winter and summer : the season when plants and trees begin to grow
: a twisted or coiled piece of metal that returns to its original shape when it is pressed down or stretched
: the ability of something to return to its original shape when it is pressed down, stretched, twisted, etc.

SPRING Defined for Kids

spring

verb \ ˈspriŋ \

Definition of spring for Students

sprang \ˈspraŋ\ or sprung \ˈsprəŋ\; sprung; springing

1 : to move suddenly upward or forward : leap

The lion crouched, waiting to spring.

2 : to appear or grow quickly or suddenly

Weeds sprang up overnight.

Tears sprang from her eyes.

3 : to have (a leak) appear

4 : to move quickly by or as if by stretching and springing back

The lid sprang shut.

5 : to cause to operate suddenly

He was planning to spring a trap.

6 : to come into being : arise

An idea sprang in his mind.

spring

noun

Definition of spring for Students

1 : the season between winter and summer including in the northern hemisphere usually the months of March, April, and May

2 : a twisted or coiled strip of material (as metal) that recovers its original shape when it is released after being squeezed or stretched

3 : the ability of something to return to its original shape when it is compressed or stretched

4 : a source of supply (as of water coming up from the ground)

5 : the act or an instance of leaping up or forward

He … caught sight of the incredible spring of a doe …
—Virginia Hamilton, M. C. Higgins

6 : a bouncy or lively quality

She had a spring in her step.

Medical Dictionary

spring

noun \ ˈspriŋ \

medical Definition of spring

: any of various elastic orthodontic devices used especially to apply constant pressure to misaligned teeth

Learn More about spring

See words that rhyme with spring Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spring Spanish Central: Translation of spring Nglish: Translation of spring for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spring for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spring

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spring

Definition of spring

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

Origin and Etymology of spring

Synonym Discussion of spring

spring

Definition of spring

springlike

Examples of spring in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

First Known Use of spring

spring Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Calendar Terms

spring

Definition of spring

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

First Known Use of spring

Financial Definition of SPRING

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

SPRING Defined for English Language Learners

spring

Definition of spring for English Language Learners

SPRING Defined for Kids

spring

Definition of spring for Students

spring

Definition of spring for Students

Medical Dictionary

spring

medical Definition of spring

Learn More about spring

Seen and Heard

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