SINCE 1828
spring
verb (1)
\ ˈspriŋ
\
\
sprang\ ˈspraŋ
\
or sprung\ ˈsprəŋ
\;
sprung;
springing\ ˈspriŋ-iŋ
\
\
or sprung\ ˈsprəŋ
\;
sprung;
springing\ ˈspriŋ-iŋ
\
Definition of spring
(Entry 1 of 3)
b
: to become warped
2
: to issue with speed and force or as a stream
tears spring from our eyes
3a
: 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
e
: to begin to blow
—used with up a breeze quickly sprang up
4a
: 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
1
: to cause to spring
2a
: to undergo or bring about the splitting or cracking of
wind sprang the mast
b
: to undergo the opening of (a leak)
3a
: 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
Definition of spring (Entry 2 of 3)
1a
: 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
5a
: the act or an instance of leaping up or forward : bound
b(1)
: capacity for springing : resilience
6
: the point or plane at which an arch or vault curve springs from its impost
spring
verb (2)
sprung\ ˈsprəŋ
\;
springing\ ˈspriŋ-iŋ
\
\;
springing\ ˈspriŋ-iŋ
\
Definition of spring (Entry 3 of 3)
: to fit with springs
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Other Words from spring
Noun
springlike
\ ˈspriŋ-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of spring in a Sentence
Noun
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 on the Web: Verb
Using Barnick as a launching pad, Nelson sprung up without ever touching the ground and carried the ball into the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown. — Paul Hodowanic, Twin Cities, "High school football: RaJa Nelson powers Lakeville North with ‘springboard’ TD," 13 Sep. 2019 Similar papers sprang up in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago — all cities with huge numbers of daily commuters and extensive public-transportation networks. — Paul Farhi, Washington Post, "Express, commuter newspaper published by The Washington Post, shuts down after 16 years," 11 Sep. 2019 The hashtag #BlueGirl sprung up, bringing attention to the plight of female soccer fans. — BostonGlobe.com, "For this simple dream she paid with her life.," 11 Sep. 2019 What the forum was about The group that organized the forum, March for Our Lives Arizona, sprang out of the activism of students in Parkland, Florida, after a mass shooting in 2018 at their high school. — Andrew Oxford, azcentral, "'They have firearms galore.' Lawmaker's comments about communities of color draw gasps," 6 Sep. 2019 When a Gelfling princess tosses the hair from her face, Miss Piggy springs to mind; any creature whose arms wave wildly in excitement has a bit of Kermit in him. — Robert Lloyd, chicagotribune.com, "The sinister appeal of ‘The Dark Crystal’s’ bad Muppets," 3 Sep. 2019 When a Gelfling princess tosses the hair from her face, Miss Piggy springs to mind; any creature whose arms wave wildly in excitement has a bit of Kermit in him. — Los Angeles Times, "The sinister appeal of ‘The Dark Crystal’s’ bad muppets," 3 Sep. 2019 Biden aides sprang to action, in a way not before seen during this campaign, to call out anyone who was being critical or snarky — and to shame journalists who had tweeted the quote without context. — Philip Elliott, Time, "Fall Campaign Season Begins With Biden Teetering Atop Democratic Field," 31 Aug. 2019 Fountain Valley’s offense finally sprung to life in the waning seconds of the third. — Daily Pilot, "Fountain Valley football drops to 0-2 with loss at North Torrance," 30 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Smith had a standout performance in SDSU’s spring game, but slipped behind some of the other receivers during fall camp. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Aztecs wide receivers Smith, Matthews step for the offense," 7 Sep. 2019 McCormick had a six-yard catch during Oregon’s spring game six receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown as a freshman in 2017. — James Crepea | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "Oregon TE Cam McCormick (ankle) dressed out for season opener against Auburn," 31 Aug. 2019 Lesson 1: Don’t judge a scouting report by its cover Bobo swore last week that Rams coaches had put a bullseye on Shenault after watching him during a telecast of the Buffs’ 2018 spring game. — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, "Laviska Shenault: How the CSU Rams plan to get payback for CU Buffs’ 2018 rout," 30 Aug. 2019 This primarily comes in the form of the assisted spring the shoes provide, propelling the runner forward while preserving energy. — Daniel Gallan, CNN, "Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon quest 'contrived,' says leading sports scientist," 29 Aug. 2019 Meanwhile, Mullen and the Gators did not build on the momentum of a season-ending four-game winning streak and a record-setting spring game featuring 95 points. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Gators hold on for wild win over 'Canes to kick off season," 24 Aug. 2019 Deer remains in the scats were less than one half of the previous spring; fragments of birds, seals, sea creatures and small mammals constituted the rest. — Anchorage Daily News, "When biologists stocked a deer-heavy Southeast Alaska island with wolves," 17 Aug. 2019 Each year, the opening of Sullivan’s marks the unofficial start of spring for many people who live and work near Castle Island. — Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Sullivan’s restaurant on Castle Island to open up satellite eatery at Logan Airport," 1 Aug. 2019 Think back to the sheer pageantry and theatre of this spring’s massive feud between beauty YouTubers Tati Westbrook and James Charles. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau’s giant YouTuber wedding married reality TV to the internet," 30 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
That is when insurgents sprang out and surrounded them. — Washington Post, "Nigerian children who escaped Boko Haram say they faced another ‘prison’: military detention," 14 Sep. 2019 At that time, gangs moved into the drug trade as large quantities of crystal meth became available from neighboring Iran, where numerous labs had sprung up, said Angela Me, the head of research for the United Nations drug agency. — New York Times, "Iraq Faces a New Adversary: Crystal Meth," 14 Sep. 2019 One pest of Clemson’s lately had been Syracuse, a team that came close to springing an upset last year before faltering in the final minute and beat Clemson in 2017 at the Dome. — Scooby Axson, SI.com, "Clemson's Easy Win Over Syracuse Displays Massive Gap Between Tigers and Rest of ACC," 14 Sep. 2019 In May, the city successfully sought legal backing to disperse those living in more than 100 tents in what was dubbed at the time the Ross Camp, sprung up late last year on vacant land along Highway 1. — Jessica York, The Mercury News, "Overnight curfew set for Santa Cruz’s popular Main Beach," 12 Sep. 2019 Since California voters legalized the sale and recreational use of cannabis in 2016, companies have sprung up that take customers on tours of cannabis businesses, much like firms that offer crawls to wineries and breweries, state officials said. — Los Angeles Times, "A ban on marijuana use on party buses wins approval from California lawmakers," 12 Sep. 2019 Then, in an online hacking forum, the hackers behind GandCrab announced their retirement in May. After that, another strain of ransomware known as Sodinokibi ransomware sprung up and began targeting MSPs. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, "The New Target That Enables Ransomware Hackers to Paralyze Dozens of Towns and Businesses at Once," 12 Sep. 2019 But there are plenty who might spring for an iPhone just to get hold of this camera. — BostonGlobe.com, "delivered less this year than I’d expected. And that’s a good thing.," 11 Sep. 2019 When a sensor detects the vehicle has been hit from behind, the headrest rapidly springs forward to catch the occupants’ heads and prevent whiplash. — Ron Hurtibise, sun-sentinel.com, "Mercedes safety system flaw can bash drivers’ heads, suit says," 5 Sep. 2019These 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.
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Learn More about spring
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Do the Names of the Seasons Get...
Do the Names of the Seasons Get Capitalized?
On common nouns and falling leaves
Dictionary Entries near spring
Statistics for spring
Last Updated
5 Oct 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for spring
The first known use of spring was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for spring
spring
nounFinancial Definition of spring
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
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of spring
: 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.
See the full definition for spring in the English Language Learners Dictionary
spring
verb
\ ˈspriŋ
\
\
sprang\ ˈspraŋ \
or sprung\ ˈsprəŋ \;
sprung;
springing
Kids Definition of spring
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
nounKids Definition of spring (Entry 2 of 2)
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.
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spring
noun
\ ˈspriŋ
\
\
Medical Definition of spring
: any of various elastic orthodontic devices used especially to apply constant pressure to misaligned teeth
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Comments on spring
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