spree

¹

[spree]

noun

1. a lively frolic or outing.

2. a bout or spell of drinking to intoxication; binge; carousal.

3. a period, spell, or bout of indulgence, as of a particular wish, craving, or whim.

   an eating spree; a spending spree.

4. a period or outburst of extreme activity.

   the team’s scoring spree;

   no motive for his killing spree.

Spree

²

[shprey]

noun

1. a river in E Germany, flowing N through Berlin to the Havel River. 220 miles (354 km) long.

spree

/ spriː /

noun

1. a session of considerable overindulgence, esp in drinking, squandering money, etc

2. a romp

Word History and Origins

Origin of spree¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of spree¹

C19: perhaps changed from Scottish spreath plundered cattle, ultimately from Latin praeda booty

Example Sentences

Investors like Bahnsen who are skeptical of Silicon Valley’s spending spree believe that a top-heavy market reliant on periodic moments of dip-buying is bound to tip over.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Last year New York cracked down on the thousands of illegal stores in a spree of shop closures.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Pfizer deal set off a short-lived buying spree in drug stocks.

Read more on Barron's

When tech companies went on a recruiting spree a few years ago, Markham, 48, saw a chance to turn his computer-programming hobby into a more lucrative career.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Zuckerberg then went on a hiring spree that was unprecedented in modern Silicon Valley history, offering multimillion-dollar pay packages to a superteam of researchers and seasoned executives, whom he committed to reach new AI heights.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• binge 
• celebration 
• orgy 
• rampage