sprig

American  

[sprig] / sprɪg /

noun

1. a small spray of some plant with its leaves, flowers, etc.

2. an ornament having the form of such a spray.

3. a shoot, twig, or small branch.

4. Facetious. a scion, offspring, or heir of a family, class, etc.

5. a youth or young fellow.

6. glazier's point.

7. a headless brad.

8. Metallurgy.

   1. a small peg for reinforcing the walls of a mold.

   2. a metal insert, used to chill certain portions of cast metal, that becomes an integral part of the finished casting.

---

verb (used with object)

sprigged, sprigging

1. to mark or decorate (fabrics, pottery, etc.) with a design of sprigs.

2. to fasten with brads.

3. Horticulture. to propagate a plant, especially grass, by planting individual stolons.

4. Metallurgy. to reinforce the walls of (a mold) with sprigs.

5. to remove a sprig or sprigs from (a plant).

sprig British  

/ sprɪɡ /

noun

1. a shoot, twig, or sprout of a tree, shrub, etc; spray

2. an ornamental device resembling a spray of leaves or flowers

3. a small wire nail without a head

4. informal a youth

5. informal a person considered as the descendant of an established family, social class, etc

6. another name for stud 1

---

verb

1. to fasten or secure with sprigs

2. to ornament (fabric, wallpaper, etc) with a design of sprigs

3. to make sprays from (twigs and branches)

Other Word Forms

• sprigger noun
• spriggy adjective

Etymology

Origin of sprig

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sprigge (noun); origin uncertain; sense “peg” perhaps of distinct origin; sprag ¹, spray ²

Example Sentences

On the stove, set a tiny simmer pot—some cinnamon sticks, citrus peel, a rosemary sprig, a splash of water—to give the house a soft, cozy scent without overwhelming the food.

From Salon

Instead of a black veiled cap, a sprig of fresh flowers was tucked into her hair.

From Literature

I opened the crisper drawer and pulled out an apple, a sprig of rosemary and sage leaves so soft they felt like velvet.

From Salon

While shooting the film at an airport off the east coast of Panama, Herzog, in costume, spotted a man on the other side of a high fence holding a sprig of flowers in his hand.

From Los Angeles Times

Catherine, dressed in a bottle-green and percher hat, presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers, guardsmen and mascot Seamus, the Irish wolfhound, at the regiment's annual parade at Wellington Barracks.

From BBC

Related Words

• sprout
• twig