/spɜːt/, /spɝt/
OriginFrom earlier spirt, sprit (“to sprout”), from Middle English sprytten, from Old English spryttan, from Proto-West Germanic *spruttjan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per- (“to strew, sow, sprinkle”).
- transitiveTo cause to gush out suddenly or violently in a stream or jet.
- intransitiveTo rush from a confined place in a small stream or jet.
“Thus the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, / Spurts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock.”
“With that he pulled open his shirt, and with his long sharp nails opened a vein in his breast. When the blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight, and with the other”
“In the floor of the valley the line passes hills of fantastic shape, like sleeping camels and inverted washbasins, and you can see the beautiful lakes Naivasha and Elementeita; at Eburru jets of steam”
- intransitiveTo make a strong effort for a short period of time.
“The bullion market spurted on Thursday.”
“The runners spurted to the last lap as if they had extracted new energy from the applauds of the audience.”
- A brief gush, as of liquid spurting from an orifice or a cut/wound.
“a spurt of water; a spurt of blood”
- slangEjaculation of semen.
“"Clean all your spurt off me, man." And so I did.”
- obsoleteA shoot; a bud.
“The Garden Sperages[…]send out at first certaine greene spurts or buds peeping forth of the ground.”
- A moment, a short period of time.
- A sudden brief burst of, or increase in, speed, effort, activity, emotion or development.
“The boss's visit prompted a brief spurt of activity.”
“I seem to remember talking wanderingly to myself during that last spurt.”
“The long, steady sweep of the so-called "paddle" tried him almost as much as the breathless strain of the spurt.”
- The act of spurting, or something spurted
“He thrust against her and deep inside, she felt his spurt of semen. Her clit jumped in response, and Lily tumbled into an orgasm that shook her clear to her toes.”
Formsspurts(present, singular, third-person) · spurting(participle, present) · spurted(participle, past) · spurted(past) · spirt(alternative) · spurts(plural)