Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Spūm'ōŭs or Spūm'y, a. p. 1279Consisting of froth or scum; foamy. “The spumous and florid state of the blood.” Arbuthnot. The spumy waves proclaim the watery war. Dryden.Spŭn, imp. & p. p. p. 1279of spin. See SPIN. Spun hay, hay twisted into ropes for convenient carriage, as on a military expedition.Spūn'ge, n. p. 1279See SPONGE.Spūn’ging-house, n. p. 1279See SPONGING-HOUSE.Spŭnk, n. p. 1279Wood that readily takes fire; touchwood; also, a kind of tinder made from a species of fungus; punk; amadou. 2. An inflammable temper; spirit; pluck; as, a man of spunk. “A lawless and dangerous set…Spŭnk'y, a. p. 1279Full of spunk; quick; spirited. [Colloq.]Spŭn'-yärn, n. p. 1279(Naut.) A line or cord formed of two or three rope-yarns twisted.Spûr, n. p. 1279An instrument having a rowel or little wheel, with sharp points, worn on a horseman's heels, to prick a horse in order to hasten his pace. 2. Incitement; instigation. Fame is the spur that the clear…Spûr, v. t. p. 1279To prick with spurs; to incite to a more hasty pace; as, to spur a horse. 2. To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object; to incite; to instigate; to impel; to drive.…Spūr, v. i. p. 1279To travel with great expedition; to hasten. The Parthians shall be there, And, spurring from the fight, confess their fear. Dryden. The roads leading to the capital were covered with multitudes of…Spūr'-clād, a. p. 1280Wearing spurs.Spûr'-gall, v. t. p. 1280To gall or wound with a spur.Spûr'-gall, n. p. 1280A place galled or excoriated by much using of the spur.Spûrge, v. t. p. 1280To emit foam; to froth;—said properly of the emission of yeast from beer in course of fermentation. [Obs.] Curtright.Spûrge, n. p. 1280(Bot.) A plant (the Euphorbia polygonifolia) having an acrid, milky juice. This name is applied to various species of Euphorbia, and by some to the whole genus, which is very numerous.Spûr'-gēar'ing, n. p. 1280Gearing in which spur-wheels are used.Spûrge'-flâx, n. p. 1280(Bot.) An evergreen shrub (Daphne gnidium), a native of Spain.Spûrge'-lâu'rel, n. p. 1280(Bot.) The Daphne laureola, an evergreen shrub, a native of Europe.Spûrge'-ôl'ive, n. p. 1280(Bot.) An evergreen shrub (the Daphne oleoides), a native of Crete. London.Spūrge'-wort, n. p. 1280A certain plant.Spûr'ging, n. p. 1280Purging. [Obs.] B. Jonson.Spū'ri-ous, a. p. 1280Not proceeding from the true source, or from the source pretended; not genuine; counterfeit; false; adulterate. 2. Not legitimate; bastard; as, spurious issue. “Her spurious first-born.” Milton.…Spū'ri-ous-ly, adv. p. 1280In a spurious manner; counterfeitly; falsely.Spū'ri-ous-ness, n. p. 1280The state or quality of being spurious, counterfeit, false, or not genuine; as, the spuriousness of drugs, or of writings. 2. The state of being bastard, or not of legitimate birth; illegitimacy; as…Spūr'less, a. p. 1280Having no spurs; without spurs.Spûr'ling, n. p. 1280(Ichth.) A spirling. See SPIRLING. Tusser.Spûr'ling-line, n. p. 1280(Neut.) The line which forms the communication between the wheel and the telltale.Spûrn, v. t. p. 1280To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. I spurn thee like a cur. Shak. 2. To reject with disdain; to scorn to receive or accept; to treat with contempt. The rule of knighthood I disdain and…Spûrn, v. i. p. 1280To kick or toss up the heels. The drunken chairman in the kennel spurns. Gay. 2. To manifest disdain in rejecting any thing; to make contemptuous opposition; to manifest disdain in resistance. “Nay…Spûrn, n. p. 1280A kick; a blow with the foot. [Rare.] What defense can properly be used in such a despicable encounter as this but either the slap or the spurn? Milton. 2. Disdainful rejection; contemptuous…Spûrn'er, n. p. 1280One who spurns.Spûrn'ey, n. p. 1280A certain plant.Spûrn'-wa'ter, n. p. 1280(Naut.) A channel at the end of a deck to restrain the water.Spûrre, n. p. 1280(Ornith.) A spur; a sea-swallow. See SPUR, 9.Spūrred, p. a. p. 1280Wearing spurs, or having shoots like spurs. 2. Affected with spur or ergot; as, spurred rye.Spûr'rer, n. p. 1280One who uses spurs.Spūr'rey, n. p. 1280See SPURRY.Spūr'ri-er, n. p. 1280One whose occupation is to make spurs. The saddlers and spurriers would be ruined by thousands. Macauley.Spûr'-roy'al, n. p. 1280A gold coin, first made in the reign of Edward IV., and having a star on the reverse, resembling the rowel of a spur. In the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., its value was fifteen shillings.…Spûr'ry, n. p. 1280(Bot.) A plant (the Spergula arvensis), which is sometimes cultivated in Europe for fodder.Spûrt, v. t. p. 1280To throw out, as a liquid in a stream; to drive or force out with violence, as a liquid from a pipe or small orifice; as, to spurt water from the mouth, or other liquid from a tube.Spûrt, v. i. p. 1280To gush or issue out in a stream, as liquor from a cask; to rush from a confined place in a small stream. Then the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, Spurts in the gardener’s eyes who turns the…Spûrt, n. p. 1280A shoot; a bud. [Obs.] Holland. 2. A sudden or violent ejection or gushing of a liquid substance from a tube, orifice, or other confined place; a jet. 3. A sudden or short occasion or exigency…Spürt'le, v. t. p. 1280To shoot in a scattering manner. [Obs.] Drayton.Spūr'-wāy, n. p. 1280A horse-path; a narrow way; a bridle-road; a way for a single beast. [Rare.]Spûr'-wheel, n. p. 1280(Mach.) A wheel in which the teeth are perpendicular to the axis, and in the direction of the radii.Spu-tā'tion, n. p. 1280The act of spitting. Harvey.Spü'ta-tive, a. p. 1280Inclined to spit; spitting much. [Obs.] Wotton.Spite, v. t. p. 1280To dispute; to discuss. [Obs.]Spüt'ter, v. i. p. 1280To spit, or to emit saliva from the mouth in small or scattered portions, as in rapid speaking. 2. To throw out moisture in small, detached parts. “Like the green wood . . . sputtering in the flame.”…Congreve p. 1280Spŭt'ter, v. t. p. 1280To throw out with haste and noise; to utter with indistinctness. “In the midst of caresses, and without the least pretended incitement, to sputter out the basest accusations.” Swift.Spăt'ter, n. p. 1280Moist matter thrown out in small particles.Spŭt'ter-er, n. p. 1280One who sputters.Spū'tum, n. p. 1280That which is expectorated; a salival discharge from the mouth, with mucus from the nose, and sometimes with secretions from the larynx and bronchia; spittle; saliva.Spÿ, n. p. 1280One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others. “These wretched spies of wit.” Dryden. 2. (Mil.) A person sent into an enemy’s camp to inspect their works, ascertain their strength or their…Spy, v. t. p. 1280To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see. One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration. Swift. 2. To discover by…Spy, v. i. p. 1280To search narrowly; to scrutinize. It is my nature's plague To spy into abuse. Shak.Spÿ'-bōat, n. p. 1280A boat sent to make discoveries and bring intelligence. Arbuthnot.Spy'-glass, n. p. 1280A small telescope for viewing distant terrestrial objects.