Library / English Dictionary

SPRING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: sprang    , sprung   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards

Synonyms:

bounce; bound; leap; leaping; saltation; spring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

jump; jumping (the act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spring"):

caper; capriole (a playful leap or hop)

pounce (the act of pouncing)

Derivation:

spring (spring back; spring away from an impact)

spring (move forward by leaps and bounds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A metal elastic device that returns to its shape or position when pushed or pulled or pressed

Example:

the spring was broken

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

elastic device (any flexible device that will return to its original shape when stretched)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spring"):

bedspring ((usually in the plural) one of the springs holding up the mattress of a bed)

coil spring; volute spring (a spring in the shape of a coil)

leaf spring (long narrow spring consisting of several layers of metal springs bracketed together)

mainspring (the most important spring in a mechanical device (especially a clock or watch); as it uncoils it drives the mechanism)

spiral spring (a spring that is wound like a spiral)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

Synonyms:

give; spring; springiness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

elasticity; snap (the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A point at which water issues forth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

beginning; origin; root; rootage; source (the place where something begins, where it springs into being)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A natural flow of ground water

Synonyms:

fountain; natural spring; outflow; outpouring; spring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

formation; geological formation ((geology) the geological features of the earth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spring"):

Fountain of Youth (a fountain described in folk tales as able to make people young again)

geyser (a spring that discharges hot water and steam)

hot spring; thermal spring (a natural spring of water at a temperature of 70 F or above)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The season of growth

Example:

he will hold office until the spring of next year

Synonyms:

spring; springtime

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("spring" is a kind of...):

season; time of year (one of the natural periods into which the year is divided by the equinoxes and solstices or atmospheric conditions)

Meronyms (parts of "spring"):

March equinox; spring equinox; vernal equinox (March 21)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Develop suddenly

Example:

The tire sprang a leak

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "spring" is one way to...):

acquire; develop; get; grow; produce (come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly

Example:

He sprang these news on me just as I was leaving

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spring" is one way to...):

break; bring out; disclose; discover; divulge; expose; give away; let on; let out; reveal; uncover; unwrap (make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something on somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spring back; spring away from an impact

Example:

These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide

Synonyms:

bounce; bound; rebound; recoil; resile; reverberate; ricochet; spring; take a hop

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "spring" is one way to...):

bound; jump; leap; spring (move forward by leaps and bounds)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spring"):

carom (rebound after hitting)

bound off; skip (bound off one point after another)

kick; kick back; recoil (spring back, as from a forceful thrust)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

spring (a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move forward by leaps and bounds

Example:

Can you jump over the fence?

Synonyms:

bound; jump; leap; spring

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "spring" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spring"):

hop (make a jump forward or upward)

caper (jump about playfully)

hop; hop-skip; skip (jump lightly)

curvet (perform a leap where both hind legs come off the ground, of a horse)

overleap; vault (jump across or leap over (an obstacle))

leapfrog (jump across)

vault (bound vigorously)

saltate (leap or skip, often in dancing)

ski jump (jump on skis)

galumph (move around heavily and clumsily)

capriole (perform a capriole, of horses in dressage)

bounce (leap suddenly)

burst (move suddenly, energetically, or violently)

bounce; bound; rebound; recoil; resile; reverberate; ricochet; spring; take a hop (spring back; spring away from an impact)

pronk (jump straight up)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

spring (a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Develop into a distinctive entity

Example:

our plans began to take shape

Synonyms:

form; spring; take form; take shape

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "spring" is one way to...):

become (come into existence)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spring"):

regenerate (be formed or shaped anew)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not see the bottom of it.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The spring fashions are partly down; and the hats the most frightful you can imagine.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them, and the poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

At sight of Mr. Utterson, he sprang up from his chair and welcomed him with both hands.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

In the spring, he went down the Yukon with the young men to trade at Cambell Fort.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

She shook her head, turned her delighted bright eyes up to mine, kissed me, broke into a merry laugh, and sprang away to put on Jip's new collar.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He had sprung to his feet with a mad rage in his eyes.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The findings, predict that this shift in snowmelt timing each spring could result in a 45 percent reduction of snowmelt period forest carbon by mid-century.

(Earlier snowmelt decreases streamflow, reduces forests' ability to regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide, NSF)

Because snow and ice reflect more light than vegetation or water, the spring is brighter than the summer or autumn, when there is much less snow and ice.

(Earthshine, NASA)

A fine spring shone round me, which I could not enjoy.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)