sprint
[sprint]
- to race or move at full speed, especially for a short distance, as in running, rowing, etc.
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- to traverse in sprinting: to sprint a half mile.
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- a short race at full speed.
- a burst of speed at any point during a long race, as near the finish line.
- a brief spell of great activity.
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Origin of sprint
1560–70; perhaps continuing Old English *sprintan (compare gesprintan to emit); cognate with Old Norse spretta, Old High German sprinzan to jump up
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for sprinted
Contemporary Examples
And a lesser man, like myself, would have sprinted to the airport and hopped the next flight to Miami.
Carter hopped out of the Humvee and sprinted to the corner of the latrines, where he took a knee.
Our ability to detect disease has sprinted far past our ability to manage it, and the trend shows no signs of letting up.
George Bush Gets a Heart Stent—and a Close Brush With Our Broken Health-Care SystemKent Sepkowitz
August 7, 2013
The security guard, a former British special forces veteran, sprinted toward a nearby olive grove.
He has sprinted toward turmoil in war zones, jungles, and disaster areas from Iraq to Peru.
Historical Examples
And so Max sprinted more or less whenever he had the chance.
With Trapper Jim in the North WoodsLawrence J. Leslie
Kirkwood planked down the fare, swore, and sprinted for the carriages.
The Black BagLouis Joseph Vance
I climbed out slowly while Ned sprinted there in seconds flat.
Arm of the LawHarry Harrison
Dennison saw them, swerved suddenly and sprinted across the street.
ForeverRobert Sheckley
The car rolled on in the darkness while Stan sprinted along the hedge.
A Yankee Flier Over BerlinAl Avery
sprint
- athletics a short race run at top speed, such as the 100 metres
- a fast finishing speed at the end of a longer race, as in running or cycling, etc
- any quick run
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- to go at top speed, as in running, cycling, etc
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Word Origin
C16: from Scandinavian; related to Old English gesprintan to emit, Old Norse spretta to jump up, Old High German sprinzan to jump up, Swedish sprata to kick
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
Word Origin and History for sprinted
sprint
v.
1560s, "to spring, dart," from Old Norse spretta "to jump up." Meaning "to run a short distance at full speed" first recorded 1871. Related: Sprinted; sprinting.
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sprint
n.
1865, from sprint (v.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper