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

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
When thermometers in Chicago neared 100 on July 7, 1936, children at Racine Avenue and Ohio Street made the most of cooling water spurting from a hydrant that was turned on by the fire department. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2023 The worst culprit, Blatty says, was the scene in which Regan gets an arteriogram: A needle is jabbed into her neck and blood comes spurting out. Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2023 If they are injured, bright red blood will spurt out. Michael Menna, Verywell Health, 5 June 2023 It's even got instruments to try to catch those plumes of water vapor that might spurt out from the icy crust. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2023 With the influx of funding from FranShares, growth is going to accelerate and spurt. Gary Stern, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 For now, though, the global economy will take the GDP spurt emanating from China and India, and happily. William Pesek, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023 The subsequent scene features a man and a woman getting into a gory car accident on a highway in Reno, Nev.; while the man panics, a nun arrives on a white horse to sunnily administer CPR to his companion’s headless, spurting corpse. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023 Cryovolcanoes on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, seem to spurt gases above the ice surface adding to the ever-present hazy climate of Titan. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2023
Noun
The theatrical fastbreaks and Johnson's Spalding sorcery to zip a pass to a teammate without looking that defined the Lakers' '80s dynasty has only been seen in spurts over the first two seasons. Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 29 Aug. 2023 Below a sky of gray clouds, the bay lapped at the concrete balustrades, sending spurts periodically onto the sidewalk. Annie Gowen, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2023 Netflix enjoyed its biggest springtime spurt in subscribers since the early days of the pandemic three years ago, providing the latest sign that a recent crackdown on password sharing and the rollout of a cheaper version of its video streaming service are paying off. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 19 July 2023 Netflix enjoyed its biggest springtime spurt in subscribers since the early days of the pandemic three years ago, providing the latest sign that a recent crackdown on password sharing and the rollout of a cheaper subscription option are paying off. Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2023 Hotel workers have been walking off the job in intermittent few-day spurts ever since the long Fourth of July holiday weekend when contracts covering some 15,000 local hotel workers expired. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Workers at 43 hotels have participated in the strike so far, the union said, walking off the job in intermittent few-day spurts ever since the July Fourth holiday weekend. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2023 Aim to establish an ongoing dialogue in short spurts rather than one long, formal conversation. Shoshana Walter, New York Times, 29 June 2023 The Bulls used an early-five goal spurt to build a lead before holding on for an 11-10 victory. Craig Clary, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2023 See More

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 3 Oct. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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