spring

to issue forth suddenly, as water, blood, sparks, fire, etc. (often followed by forth, out, or up): Blood sprang from the wound.

to come into being, rise, or arise within a short time (usually followed by up): Industries sprang up in the suburbs.

to come into being by growth, as from a seed or germ, bulb, root, etc.; grow, as plants.

to proceed or originate from a specific source or cause.

to have as one's birth or lineage; be descended, as from a person, family, stock, etc.; come from: to spring from ancient aristocracy.

to rise or extend upward, as a spire.

to take an upward course or curve from a point of support, as an arch.

to come or appear suddenly, as if at a bound: An objection sprang to mind.

to start or rise from cover, as a pheasant, woodcock, or the like.

to become bent or warped, as boards.

to shift or work loose, as parts of a mechanism, structure, etc.: The board sprang from the fence during the storm.

to explode, as a mine.

Archaic. to begin to appear, as day, light, etc.; dawn.

to cause to shift out of place, work loose, warp, split, or crack: Moisture sprang the board from the fence.

to split or crack: The ship sprang its keel on a rock.

to develop by or as by splitting or cracking: The boat sprang a leak.

to bend by force, or force in by bending, as a resilient slat or bar.

to stretch or bend (a spring or other resilient device) beyond its elastic tolerance: This clip has been sprung.

to bring out, disclose, produce, make, etc., suddenly: to spring a joke.

to leap over.

Slang. to secure the release of (someone) from confinement, as of jail, military service, or the like.

Nautical. to move (a vessel) into or out of a berth by pulling on the offshore end of a warp made fast to the pier.

to explode (a mine).

an elastic or bouncing quality: There is a spring in his walk.

elasticity or resilience: This board has spring in it.

a structural defect or injury caused by a warp, crack, etc.

an issue of water from the earth, taking the form, on the surface, of a small stream or standing as a pool or small lake.

the place of such an issue: mineral springs.

a source or fountainhead of something: a spring of inspiration.

an elastic contrivance or body, as a strip or wire of steel coiled spirally, that recovers its shape after being compressed, bent, or stretched.

the season between winter and summer: in the Northern Hemisphere from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice.

(in temperate zones) the season of the year following winter and characterized by the budding of trees, growth of plants, the onset of warmer weather, etc.

the first stage and freshest period: the spring of life.

sometimes initial capital letter. a period of growth, recovery, or regeneration (usually used in combination): signs of an economic spring.

usually initial capital letter.

Nautical.

Also called springing. Architecture.

Archaic. the dawn, as of day, light, etc.

(tr) to leap or jump over

(intr) to come, issue, or arise suddenly

(intr) (of a part of a mechanism, etc) to jump out of place

to make (wood, etc) warped or split or (of wood, etc) to become warped or split

to happen or cause to happen unexpectedly: to spring a surprise; the boat sprung a leak

(intr) to develop or originate: the idea sprang from a chance meeting

(intr usually foll by from) to be descended: he sprang from peasant stock

(intr often foll by up) to come into being or appear suddenly: factories springing up

(tr) (of a gun dog) to rouse (game) from cover

(intr) (of game or quarry) to start or rise suddenly from cover

(intr) to appear to have a strong upward movement: the beam springs away from the pillar

to explode (a mine) or (of a mine) to explode

(tr) to provide with a spring or springs

(tr) informal to arrange the escape of (someone) from prison

(intr) archaic, or poetic (of daylight or dawn) to begin to appear

the act or an instance of moving rapidly back from a position of tension

a structural defect such as a warp or bend

the earliest or freshest time of something

a source or origin

one of a set of strips of rubber, steel, etc, running down the inside of the handle of a cricket bat, hockey stick, etc

Also called: spring line nautical a mooring line, usually one of a pair that cross amidships

a flock of teal

architect another name for springing