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.
of or relating to the spawning of a character or item in a video game:a spawn point;the spawn rate.
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!
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.
Origin of spawn
1Other words for spawn
Other words from spawn
- spawner, noun
- un·spawned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spawn in a sentence
Still, Roosegaarde stresses that the Intimacy line is not so much about the technology as the human interaction it spawns.
It spawns in the smaller coast streams, never going far from the salt water.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast | Harry Thom PayneSpawns in May and may be treated in all respects as the rest of the bass family, only it will flourish well in quite small ponds.
Soil Culture | J. H. WaldenThough a fresh water fish which passes the greater part of its life in rivers, the eel spawns in the sea.
It likewise spawns in the spring, and grows to a pound or two in weight, sometimes reaching three pounds.
Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others | James Alexander Henshall
It spawns in the spring, usually in May, in shallow, weedy situations in both fresh and brackish water.
Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others | James Alexander Henshall
British Dictionary definitions for spawn
/ (spɔːn) /
the mass of eggs deposited by fish, amphibians, or molluscs
often derogatory offspring, product, or yield
botany the nontechnical name for mycelium
(of fish, amphibians, etc) to produce or deposit (eggs)
often derogatory (of people) to produce (offspring)
(tr) to produce or engender
Origin of spawn
1Derived forms of spawn
- spawner, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for spawn
[ spôn ]
The eggs of water animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks.
Offspring produced in large numbers.
To lay eggs; produce spawn.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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