spawn
[spawn]
- Zoology. the mass of eggs deposited by fishes, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.
- Mycology. the mycelium of mushrooms, especially of the species grown for the market.
- Usually Disparaging. a swarming brood; numerous progeny:Diners at the restaurant were annoyed by the two inconsiderate parents and their unruly spawn.
- any person or thing regarded as the offspring of some stock, idea, etc.
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- of or relating to the spawning of a character or item in a video game:a spawn point;the spawn rate.
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- to deposit eggs or sperm directly into the water, as fishes.
- (of a character or item in a video game) to originate at a fixed point in an existing game environment:An enemy character just spawned right on top of me!
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- to produce (spawn).
- to give birth to; give rise to: His sudden disappearance spawned many rumors.
- to produce in large number.
- to plant with mycelium.
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Origin of spawn
1350–1400; Middle English spawnen (v.), probably < Anglo-French espaundre (Old French espandre) to expand
Synonyms
See more synonyms for spawn on Thesaurus.com9. engender, generate, yield, beget.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for spawn
Contemporary Examples
Well known for his gimmicks, Daylyt entered the stage in a Spawn costume that could stop traffic at Comic Con.
That is not to say that the focus on Cohle and Hart does not spawn two compelling performances.
Replaying sections will spawn enemies in the same place, but what happens then changes from time to time.
‘Killzone: Shadow Fall’ Review: Oh My God, This PlayStation 4 Game Is BeautifulAlec Kubas-Meyer
November 19, 2013
After surprising box office success, The Terminator would go on to spawn three sequels.
The Week in Nostalgia: ‘Halloween’ Turns 35, Butch and Sundance Debut, and the iPod is Born (VIDEO)Chancellor Agard
October 26, 2013
This idea is really the spawn of Mark Levin, the wingnut radio host, who has (of course) written a book about it.
Historical Examples
Why shrink from us, then, as though we were the spawn of the Evil One?
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
But oh, that a nation which has known a Corneille should ever spawn forth a ——-!
Alice, or The Mysteries, CompleteEdward Bulwer-Lytton
Any theory accounting for the presence of spawn is, therefore, out of the question.
Life: Its True GenesisR. W. Wright
The first story of his that I read was "Spawn of the Stars."
Spawn, why didn't you tell me you were a producer of quicksilver?
spawn
- the mass of eggs deposited by fish, amphibians, or molluscs
- often derogatory offspring, product, or yield
- botany the nontechnical name for mycelium
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- (of fish, amphibians, etc) to produce or deposit (eggs)
- often derogatory (of people) to produce (offspring)
- (tr) to produce or engender
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Word Origin
C14: from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Old French spandre to spread out, expand
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for spawn
v.
early 15c., from Anglo-French espaundre, Old French espandre "to spread out, pour out," from Latin expandere (see expand). The notion is of a "spreading out" of fish eggs released in water. The meaning "to engender, give rise to" is attested from 1590s. Related: Spawned; spawning.
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n.
early 15c., from spawn (v.); figurative sense of "brood, offspring" is from 1580s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
spawn
[spôn]
- The eggs of water animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks.
- Offspring produced in large numbers.
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- To lay eggs; produce spawn.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.