spring

verb \ ˈspriŋ \

Updated on: 7 Dec 2017

Definition of spring

sprang play \ˈspraŋ\ or sprung play \ˈsprəŋ\; sprung; springing play \ˈspriŋ-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 a (1) : dart, shoot

sparks sprang out from the fire

(2) : to be resilient or elastic; also : to move by elastic force

the lid sprang shut

b : to become warped

2 : to issue with speed and force or as a stream

tears spring from our eyes

3 a : to grow as a plant

b : to issue by birth or descent

sprang from the upper class

c : to come into being : arise

towns sprang up across the plains

d archaic : dawn

e : to begin to blow —used with up

a breeze quickly sprang up

4 a : to make a leap or series of leaps

springing across the lawn

b : to leap or jump up suddenly

sprang from their seats

5 : to stretch out in height : rise

6 : pay —used with for

I'll spring for the drinks

transitive verb

1 : to cause to spring

2 a : to undergo or bring about the splitting or cracking of

wind sprang the mast

b : to undergo the opening of (a leak)

3 a : to cause to operate suddenly

spring a trap

b : to apply or insert by bending

c : to bend by force

4 : to leap over

5 : to produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly

6 : to make lame

7 : to release or cause to be released from confinement or custody

sprung them from jail

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

Dozens of other such manufacturing clusters have sprung up in Mexico, here along the border as well as deeper in the interior.

— lauren etter, Bloomberg.com, "The Godfather of Mexican Manufacturing Couldn’t Care Less About Donald Trump," 13 Oct. 2017
And, in fact, intermediaries are already springing up across industries like software and pharmaceuticals to assemble such organizations.

— noam scheiber, The Seattle Times, "Flash jobs: Build a team, do the work, say goodbye," 12 Sep. 2017
In business, his personal life, his campaign and now his presidency, Trump has sprung surprises on his allies with gusto.

— ashley parker and philip rucker, chicagotribune.com, "'Trump betrays everyone': The president has a long record as an unpredictable ally," 10 Sep. 2017
This is not a good long-term strategy, especially given that with no Peters up front and no Darren Sproles in the backfield sorting things out, teams are springing rushers who arrive at the quarterback in full stride, untouched.

— les bowen, Philly.com, "If Eagles don't sort out pass protection better, season could change in a snap," 30 Oct. 2017
That's when a local fan group sprang up, hoping to turn sentiment in Buffalo against Bon Jovi and his partners.

— ben schreckinger, GQ, "Inside Donald Trump's Shady Scheme to Keep Jon Bon Jovi from Buying the Buffalo Bills," 26 Oct. 2017
Biotech companies sprang up that offered to perform cell line validation services for a fee, yet little seems to have changed.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "50-year-old research issue still biting biologists," 20 Oct. 2017
Mickey Mouse identities Bitcoin, the first digital currency to gain widespread acceptance, sprang up during the financial crisis about nine years ago.

— Fortune, "Cryptocurrency Exchanges Are Increasingly Roiled by Hackings and Chaos," 29 Sep. 2017
Rape crisis centers, battered-women's shelters, and survivor hotlines have sprung up across the country.

— joe biden, Marie Claire, ""I Was Heartbroken": Joe Biden Pens a Moving Essay About His Fight to End Sexual Assault on Campus," 25 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of spring

Middle English, from Old English springan; akin to Old High German springan to jump and perhaps to Greek sperchesthai to hasten

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of spring

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence. spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

- an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

- new questions have arisen
- slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

- the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

- the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

- words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

- blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

- reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

- advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

- industries stemming from space research

spring

noun, often attributive

Definition of spring

1 a : a source of supply; especially : a source of water issuing from the ground

b : an ultimate source especially of action or motion

2 : spring tide

3 : a time or season of growth or development; specifically : the season between winter and summer comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of March, April, and May or as reckoned astronomically extending from the March equinox to the June solstice

4 : an elastic body or device that recovers its original shape when released after being distorted

5 a : the act or an instance of leaping up or forward : bound

b (1) : capacity for springing : resilience

(2) : energy, bounce

6 : the point or plane at which an arch or vault curve springs from its impost

—

springlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See spring defined for English-language learners

Examples of spring in a Sentence

We'll plant the seeds next spring.
We've had a rainy spring.
a beautiful day in early spring
The first few weeks of spring were unusually warm.
The mattress is old and some of the springs are broken.
The cushion has lost its spring.

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

As of this spring, when the agency decided to resume prosecutions of first-timers, hearings are held four days a week and with close to the maximum number of defendants per hearing, which is 70.

— Washington Post, "More border crossers prosecuted in ‘new era’ of enforcement," 5 Nov. 2017
The report reiterates what residents of the West have learned from hard experience: that warmer springs, longer dry seasons in the summer and other impacts are lengthening the fire season.

— henry fountain and brad plumer, New York Times, "What the Climate Report Says About the Impact of Global Warming," 3 Nov. 2017
Coaches raved about Rose throughout bowl practices and the spring, but junior Sihiem King won the battle to be Snell’s backup in preseason camp.

— jon hale, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky football second-half win total, Mark Stoops' coaching and more in reader mailbag," 18 Oct. 2017
Alarmed by the reports of leptospirosis and news that some thirsty villages are drinking from potentially tainted streams and springs, the government began distributing water purification pills and filters this week.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "As Puerto Rican hurricane debris rots, experts fear looming health crisis," 13 Oct. 2017
The following spring, Logan Nichols was born at Stroger Hospital on Chicago's West Side.

— amy dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "How Illinois bureaucracy robbed parents of a chance to save their children from a deadly disease," 4 Oct. 2017
Could the team move Scooter Gennett, this year’s late-spring waiver claim, for another young player?

— c. trent rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, "Top 5 questions for Reds' offseason," 3 Oct. 2017
But now that’s going to be spring, possibly March or April.

— kathleen purvis, charlotteobserver, "What’s coming up in Charlotte restaurants (and news on that Stephen Starr rumor)," 2 Oct. 2017
Ashton said organizing the Hurricane Harvey collection will make the spring Supply Bucket drive easier since students already will be aware of the program.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville-area residents aid hurricane relief efforts," 15 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of spring

before 12th century

spring Synonyms

Synonyms

bound, hop, leap, jump, vault

Related Words

bounce, lope, skip; caper, capriole, gambado, gambol; attack, pounce; dive, pitch, plunge

Other Calendar Terms

antedate, estival, gloaming, luster, sesquicentennial

spring

verb

Definition of spring

sprung play \ˈsprəŋ\; springing play \ˈspriŋ-iŋ\

transitive verb

: to fit with springs

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

After the creation of the lake in the 1920s, private communities sprang up on its shores, and New Fairfield became a summertime destination for second homeowners.

— susan hodara, New York Times, "New Fairfield, Conn.: Good Schools and a Lakeside Setting," 25 Oct. 2017
Coca-Cola’s USA marketing team have sprung into action, launching a national TV spot over the weekend that aims to explain just that, Ad Age reports.

— lara o’reilly, WSJ, "CMO Today: Hulu’s Big Night at the Emmys; Rolling Stone Up for Sale; Facebook Russian Ads Probe," 18 Sep. 2017
Even so, the hope of turning up another Van Cliburn springs eternal.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Cliburn medalist Yekwon Sunwoo makes impressive area recital debut at NU," 28 Oct. 2017
Members of the sharp-suited Milanese business class gobbled down panini in the countless new eateries that have sprung up in the city center.

— elisabetta povoledo, New York Times, "First Scotland, Then Catalonia. And Now? Milan and Venice," 17 Oct. 2017
Light got back to the ground, and seeds, sometimes decades old, sprang back to life.

— ben raines, AL.com, "This is how Alabama is supposed to look, and how Alabama used to look," 17 Oct. 2017
As an undergraduate at UC San Diego, Martin Arreola immersed himself in the start-up scene on campus – organizing a hackathon for student entrepreneurs and keeping tabs on fledgling companies springing up in research labs and dorm rooms.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "This venture cap fund taps university students to find the best on-campus investments," 5 Oct. 2017
Meet Hikari, an anime virtual wife, and Eisuke, a virtual boyfriend who plays to a masochist fantasy, these are products of a multi-million dollar industry that's sprung up in response to Japan's relationship crisis.

— Bloomberg.com, "How Lonely Japanese Are Finding Virtual Love," 21 Sep. 2017
To their credit, Democratic leaders in the areas most affected—the major transfer hubs that are not incidentally also home to large immigrant populations and formidable economic engines that power the entire country—sprung into action.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "The Ridicule for Chuck Schumer's Tears Speaks to the Moral Decay of Our Politics," 30 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of spring

1884

Financial Definition of SPRING

spring

noun

What It Is

Springs are false breakouts that can trap the unsuspecting trader. Spring patterns quickly reverse, with the stock or index then often testing the opposite end of the trading range. A spring is a false breakout to the downside. It is so-named because prices "spring" back.

How It Works

Springs are a type of technical pattern named by legendary technician Richard Wycoff. The quality of the spring can be judged by an examination of the degree of penetration of support or resistance, as well as the volume on the day or period this penetration occurred. These four scenarios are possible:

-- Large penetration on large volume
Large penetration on small volume
Small penetration on large volume
Small penetration on small volume

For a spring, a small penetration on small volume is bullish, as it indicates there are few traders who are willing to sell their shares below support.

Springs provide the swing trader with good opportunities. First, they can provide a stop loss, which should be placed just below the extreme of the day the spring occurred. They can also create a target, since the stock is likely to test the opposite end of the trading range.

Why It Matters

Being able to accurately recognize a spring can turn a potential threat from a false breakouts into an opportunity. Swing traders should always watch the activity following a breakout to confirm whether a stock is behaving as it should. If not, then it might still provide an excellent trading situation -- if you spot a spring in the making.

Source: Investing Answers

SPRING Defined for English Language Learners

spring

noun

Definition of spring for English Language Learners

: the season between winter and summer : the season when plants and trees begin to grow
: a twisted or coiled piece of metal that returns to its original shape when it is pressed down or stretched
: the ability of something to return to its original shape when it is pressed down, stretched, twisted, etc.

SPRING Defined for Kids

spring

verb \ ˈspriŋ \

Definition of spring for Students

sprang \ˈspraŋ\ or sprung \ˈsprəŋ\; sprung; springing

1 : to move suddenly upward or forward : leap

The lion crouched, waiting to spring.

2 : to appear or grow quickly or suddenly

Weeds sprang up overnight.

Tears sprang from her eyes.

3 : to have (a leak) appear

4 : to move quickly by or as if by stretching and springing back

The lid sprang shut.

5 : to cause to operate suddenly

He was planning to spring a trap.

6 : to come into being : arise

An idea sprang in his mind.

spring

noun

Definition of spring for Students

1 : the season between winter and summer including in the northern hemisphere usually the months of March, April, and May

2 : a twisted or coiled strip of material (as metal) that recovers its original shape when it is released after being squeezed or stretched

3 : the ability of something to return to its original shape when it is compressed or stretched

4 : a source of supply (as of water coming up from the ground)

5 : the act or an instance of leaping up or forward

He … caught sight of the incredible spring of a doe …
—Virginia Hamilton, M. C. Higgins

6 : a bouncy or lively quality

She had a spring in her step.

Medical Dictionary

spring

noun \ ˈspriŋ \

medical Definition of spring

: any of various elastic orthodontic devices used especially to apply constant pressure to misaligned teeth

Learn More about spring

See words that rhyme with spring Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spring Spanish Central: Translation of spring Nglish: Translation of spring for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spring for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spring

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up spring? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

spring

Definition of spring

People Are Reading

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

Origin and Etymology of spring

Synonym Discussion of spring

spring

Definition of spring

springlike

Examples of spring in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

First Known Use of spring

spring Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Calendar Terms

spring

Definition of spring

Recent Examples of spring from the Web

First Known Use of spring

Financial Definition of SPRING

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

SPRING Defined for English Language Learners

spring

Definition of spring for English Language Learners

SPRING Defined for Kids

spring

Definition of spring for Students

spring

Definition of spring for Students

Medical Dictionary

spring

medical Definition of spring

Learn More about spring

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Franks Resigns Amid 'Surrogacy' Scandal

'Wreck' and 'Reckless': Accidents Happen

Intact Latin Quiz

It's a Living: Last Names That Started as Jobs

Words of the Year: 1066