spawn

American  

[spawn] / spɔn /

noun

plural

spawn, spawns

1. Zoology. the mass of eggs deposited by fishes, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.

2. Mycology. the mycelium of mushrooms, especially of the species grown for the market.

3. Usually Disparaging. a swarming brood; numerous progeny.

   Diners at the restaurant were annoyed by the two inconsiderate parents and their unruly spawn.

4. any person or thing regarded as the offspring of some stock, idea, etc.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the spawning of a character or item in a video game: the spawn rate.

   a spawn point;

   the spawn rate.

verb (used without object)

1. to deposit eggs or sperm directly into the water, as fishes.

2. (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!

verb (used with object)

1. to produce (spawn).

2. to give birth to; give rise to.

   His sudden disappearance spawned many rumors.

   Synonyms:

   beget, yield, generate, engender

3. to produce in large number.

4. to plant with mycelium.

spawn British  

/ spɔːn /

noun

1. the mass of eggs deposited by fish, amphibians, or molluscs

2. derogatory offspring, product, or yield

3. botany the nontechnical name for mycelium

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verb

1. (of fish, amphibians, etc) to produce or deposit (eggs)

2. derogatory (of people) to produce (offspring)

3. (tr) to produce or engender

spawn Scientific  

/ spôn /

1. The eggs of water animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks.

2. Offspring produced in large numbers.

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1. To lay eggs; produce spawn.

Other Word Forms

• spawner noun
• unspawned adjective

Etymology

Origin of spawn

1350–1400; Middle English spawnen (v.), probably < Anglo-French espaundre ( Old French espandre ) to expand

Example Sentences

Around the world, the plinks and pops of pickleball have spawned outrage, provoking protests and even lawsuits.

From Barron's

Heavy rain lashed southern California on Wednesday, spawning floods and debris flows.

From Barron's

The cruises even spawned an unscripted Hallmark show focused on the experiences of several attendees and their interactions with Hallmark actors.

From Los Angeles Times

Preparing for the test is sufficiently daunting that it has spawned a cottage industry of specialized agencies that help AI companies pass, much like preparing for an SAT exam, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since its inception, “Call of Duty” has spawned dozens of sequels and spin-offs across various consoles and platforms, most recently “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,” released in November.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• create
• generate