spur 
He tqmrred the old horse, and he held him tight. 
Kinysley, The Knight's Leap. 
2. Figuratively, to urge or incite. 
Remember yet, he was first wrong'd, and honour 
Spurr'd him to what he did. 
FU'tclicr (and (mother), Love's Cure, i. 3. 
3. To hasten. [Bare.] 
Lovers break not hours, 
Unless it be to come before their time; 
So much they spur their expedition. 
Shak., T. G. of V., v. 1. 6. 
4. (a) To fasten spurs to, as a horseman's boot, 
or a solleret. (6) To furnish with spurs, as a 
rider: as, booted sail spurred; to furnish with 
n spur or gaff, as a game-cock. 5. To prop; 
support. Halliwelt. [Prov. Eng.] 
II. in trans. 1. To prick one's horse with the 
spur; ride in haste. 
Now spurs the lated traveller apace 
To gain the timely inn. 
Shale., Macbeth, iii. 3. 7. 
2. Figuratively, to press forward. 
Some bold men, though they begin with infinite igno- 
rance and errour, yet, by spurring on, refine themselves. 
Grew. 
spur-blindt, [Appar. a var. of purblind, sim- 
ulating spur.'] Purblind. 
Madame, I crave pardon, I am spur-blind, I could scarce 
see. Lyly, Sapho and Phaon, ii. 2. 
spur-bunting (sper'bun"ting), n. Aspur-heeled 
bunting; a lark-bunting. 
spur-flower (sper'flou'er), n. A plant of the 
genus Ceiitraiitliim. 
spur-fowl (sper'foul), . A gallinaceous bird 
of the genus Galloperdix. There are several 
Indian and Ceylonese species. See cut under 
Galloperdix. 
spur-gall (sper'gal), n. A sore or callous and 
hairless place, as on the side of a horse, caused 
by use of the spur. 
spur-gall (sper'gal), v. t. [< spur-gall, n.] To 
make a spur-gall on, as a horse. 
And yet I beare a burthen like an Asse, 
Spur-gall'd and tyr'd by iauncing Bullingbrooke. 
Shak., Eich. II. (folio 1623), v. 5. 94. 
Spur-gaily (sper'ga'li), a. [< spur-gall + -y 1 .] 
Spur-galled; wretched; poor. Halliwell. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
Spurge 1 ! (sperj), v. [< ME. spiirgen, spourgen, 
spowrgcn, < OF. espurger, espourger = Sp. Pg! ex- 
purgar = It. spurgare, < L. expurgare, purge, 
cleanse: see expurgate, and cf. purge.] I. trans. 
To purge ; cleanse ; rid. 
Of flyes men mow hem weyl spourge. 
Rob. of Brunne, Handlyng Synne, 1. 10918. 
II. intrans. To purge; froth; emit froth; 
especially, to work and cleanse itself, as ale. 
By reason that . . . the ale and byere haue palled, and 
were nought by cause such ale and biere hathe taken 
wynde in spurgyng. Arnold's Chron., p. 86. 
spurge 2 (sperj), n. [< ME. sponjen, spoirrge, < 
OF. spurge, espurge, spurge, < OF. espurger, 
purge: see spurge*.] A plant of the genus 
Euphorbia. Several species have special names chiefly 
used in books; a few related or similar plants also are 
called spurges. Exotic species are better known as eu- 
phorbias Alleghany-mountain spurge. See Pac: 
sandra. Branched 
5870 
States. Flowering spurge, a conspicuous species, Eu- 
phorbia corullata, of eastern North America, :i rather 
slender plant 2 or :i feet high, with 1111 umbel of about 
five forks, the rays repeatedly forking into twos or threes. 
The involucre has five while appendages appearing like 
petals. The root has properties similar to those of the ipe- 
cac-spurge. Also (with other species) called milk-urnl. 
Hyssop-spurge, the purple spurge, Euphorbia Peplii, a 
European maritime species spreading flat on the sand. 
Indian tree-spurge. .Same as milk-imliie. - Ipecac- 
spurge, ipecacuanha-spurge, Eiiplmrtmi Ipecacuanha, 
found in the 1'nited States from Connecticut to Florida, 
a plant with many low stems from a long perpendicular 
root. The root has an active emetic and purgative prop- 
erty, but in large doses tends to produce excessive nausea 
..- species resembling theTypress-spumu, uut IIUKI-I, 
with commonly lanceolate leaves Myrtle-spurge. See 
caper-sjmnje. Petty spurge, a low branching European 
species, Euphorbia Peplus. Purple spurge. See hys- 
sopspttrye. Sea-spurge, or seaside spurge, Euphorbia 
Paralias. of European sea-sands. Slipper-spurge the 
slipper plant See J'edilanthus. Spotted spurge, a pros- 
trate American species, Euphorbia maadata, with a dark 
spot on the leaf: also called milk-purslane. The large 
spotted spurge is B. Preslii, sometimes called black spurge 
or purslane. See purflane. Spurge hawk-moth, ahand- 
some sphinx, Deiltphila euphorbise, whose larva feeds on the 
sea-spurge: an English collectors' name. gun-spurge, 
Euphorbia Ilelioscopia, an erect annual or 8 inches high 
whose flowers follow the sun. Also called cat's-milk, little- 
good (Scotland), and wartmed or wartwort (Prov. Eng.). 
Wood-spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides, of Europe and 
western Asia. 
spur-gear (sper'ger), n. Same as spur-gearing. 
spur-gearing (sper'ger'ing), . Gearing in 
Spur-gearing. 
which spur-wheels are employed. See gear- 
ing, 2. 
spurge-creeper (sperj'kre'per), H. A nettle- 
creeper: same as nettle-bird. 
spurge-flax (spi-rj'flaks), n. A shrub, Daphne 
(Inidium, a native of southern Europe: so called 
from its acrid property and fibrous bark. 
spurge-laurel (sperj'la'rel), . A laurel-like 
shruo, Daphne Laureola, of southern and west- 
ern Europe. It has an acrid property suggest- 
ing spurge; its fibrous bark is utilized for 
paper-making. 
spurge-nettle (sperj'net"!), . A plant, Ja- 
tropha urens. See Jatropha. 
spurge-olive (sperj'ol*iv), . The mezereon. 
spurgewort (sperj'wert), n. [< late ME. i 
spurge, a rubiaceous 
shrub, Ernodea littora- 
lis, of the sea-shores of 
the West Indies and 
Florida, a prostrate 
smooth plant with four- 
angled branches, and 
yellowish flowers sessile 
in the upper axils. Ca- 
per-spurge, Euphorbia 
Lathyris, a smooth glau- 
cous herb native in 
southern Europe and 
western central Asia, 
cultivated in gardens, 
thence sometimes es- 
caping. It is singular 
in the genus for its op- 
posite leaves, and has a 
four-rayed, then forking, 
umbel. Its young fruit 
is sometimes substi- 
tuted for capers, and its 
seeds contain an oil for- 
merly used in medicine. 
Also wild caper, mole- 
tree, and myrtle-spurge. 
Cypress-spurge, a 
common garden plant, 
Euphorbia Cyparimaa, 
with tufted stems and 
yellowish inflorescence, 
cultivated for its foliage, 
which consists of crowd- 
ed linear leaves suggest- 
g cypress. It is a native 
Flowering Spurge (.Kuphorbia 
coroltata). 
a, a leaf; 4, a flower cluster of five 
male and one female flower ; c, flower- 
cluster, hut younger, showim; the cup- 
like hase; rf. part of the involucre, shoi- 
nig uj picas, ina a nauve . , 
of Europe, running wild I," 8 the S't nd , a ' its *" ' ' 
in the eastern United card's/ the '*"" 
a raa = 
c s ' stin > t of thr ~ 
woort: see spurge 2 and wort*.} 1, Any plant 
of the i order Euphorbiacese. Lindley. 2f. The 
fetid iris, Iris faetidissima. 
spurgingt (sper'jing), n. [Verbal n. of spurge*, 
r.] Purging. Ji. Jonson, Masque of Queens. 
spur-hawk (sper'hak), n. A dialectal form of 
s/xirhawk for sparrow-hawk. [Eng.] 
spur-heeled (sper'held), a. In ortiith., having a 
very long straightened hind claw; lark-heeled: 
specifically noting the coucals or cuckoos of the 
genus Ceiitropus. 
spurise (spu'n-e),n.pl. [NL., fern. pi. (sc. pen- 
nee, feathers) ofspuriug, spurious : see spurious.] 
The packet of feathers growing on the bastard 
wing, winglet, or alula ; the bastard quills, com- 
posing the alula. See cut under alula. 
spurious (spu'ri-us), a. [= Sp. Pg. espurio = 
It. spurio, < L. spuriits, of illegitimate birth, 
hence in gen. not genuine, false; perhaps akin 
to Gr. oiropa, seed, offspring, < aireipeiv, sow: see 
tpore*.] 1. Not legitimate ; bastard: tut, spu- 
rious issue. 
Her spurious first-born. Milton, 8. A., I 391. 
2. Not proceeding from the true source or from 
the source pretended ; not being what it pre- 
tends or appears to be ; not genuine ; counter- 
feit; false; adulterated. 
Spurious gems our hopes entice, 
While we scorn the pearl of price. 
Conper, Self-diffldence (trans.). 
3. In zool. : (a) False; resembling a part or 
organ, but not having its function : as, spurious 
eyes or limbs. (6) Having the functions of an 
organ, but morphologically different from it: 
as, the spurious legs, or prolegs, of a caterpillar. 
spurn 
(c) Aborted or changed so that the normal 
functions no longer exist: as, the npiirions or 
aborted front legs of certain butterflies, (d) 
Erroneous; incorrectly established: as, a sim- 
riiins genus or species. BOG psevdogemu. 4. 
In bot., !'als<'; counterfeit; apparent only. 
Spurious Baltimore, the orchard oriole, Icterus spurius 
formerly supposed to be a variety of the llaltimore oriole. 
Also called bastard I altimore. Spurious Claw, in en- 
torn., same as empodium. Spurious dissepiment, in 
bot., a partition in an ovary or pericarp not formed by 
parts of the carpels, but by an outgrowth commonly from 
the back of the carpel, see dissepiment. Spurious 
hermaphrodites. See hermaphrodite, 1. Spurious 
ocellus, a circular spot of color without any well-de- 
fined central spot or pupil. -Spurious pareira. See 
pamra.-- Spurious primary, in mtith., the first or 
outermost primary or remex of a bird's wing which has 
at least ten primaries and the first one very short, rudi- 
mentary, or functionless. Also called spurious quill 
Spurious proposition, rainbow, stemma, etc. See 
the nouns. Spurious sarsaparilla. See Hardtnber. 
gia. Spurious vein, in entom., a faintly indicated vein 
or nervure of the wing, traceable only by a strong re- 
flected light, particularly of certain hymenopters. Spu- 
rious wing, in ornith., the ala spurla, or bastard wing ; 
the alula. See spuriee, and cut under alula. |This use 
of spurious has no reference to the condition of a first pri- 
mary so called. See above. ] = Syn. 2. Spurious, Supposi- 
titious, and Counterfeit agree in expressing intent to de- 
ceive, except that counterfeit may be used with figurative 
lightness where no dishonorable purpose is implied. Spu- 
rious, not genuine, expresses strong disapprobation of the 
deception, successful or attempted, f^iipjaisititunu applies 
only to that which is substituted for the genuine ; it thus 
expressesaclassundertheqnmous.-amjipoffi'ttttousworkof 
Atnanasius is not one that is supposed to have been written 
by him, but one that is palmed off upon the public as being 
the genuine text of a work that he is known to have writ- 
ten ; a supposititious child is a changeling ; was the Tich- 
borne claimant the genuine or a supposititious Sir Roger? 
Counterfeit applies also to a class under the spurious 
namely, to that which is made in attempted imitation of 
something else : as, a cmtnterfeit coin, bank-note, signa- 
ture. Chattel-ton's manuscripts were spurious, but not 
tupposititious; as they were not exact imitations of any 
particular manuscripts of early days, they would hardly 
be called counterfeit. See factitious. 
spuriously (spu'ri-us-li), adv. In a spurious 
manner; counterfeitly ; falsely. 
spuriousness (spu'ri-us-nes), n. 1. Illegiti- 
macy; the state of being bastard, or not of 
legitimate birth : as, spuriousness of issue. 2. 
The state or quality of being spurious, coun- 
terfeit, false, or not genuine : as, the spurious- 
ness of drugs, of coin, or of writings. 
spur-leather (sper'leTH"er), n. A strap by 
which a spur is secured to the foot. 
I could eat my very spur-leathers for anger ! 
B. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, It 1. 
spur-legged (sper'leg'ed or -legd), a. Having 
spurs or spines on the legs or feet. The Leptida 
are known as spur-legged flies. 
spurless (spfer'les), a. [< spur + -less.] With- 
out a spur, in any sense. 
spurling (sper'ling), n. A spelling of sparling. 
spurling-line (sper'ling-Hn), . Naut. : (a) A 
line connected with the axis of a wheel by which 
a telltale or index is made to show the posi- 
tion of the helm. (6) A rope stretched across 
between the two forward shrouds, having thim- 
bles spliced into it to serve as fair-leaders for 
the running rigging. 
spur-moneyt (sper'mun'i), n. Money exacted 
for wearing spurs in church. See the quota- 
tion. 
Our cathedrals (and above all St. Paul's) were, in Jon- 
son s time, frequented by people of all descriptions, who, 
with a levity scarcely credible, walked up and down the 
aisles, and transacted business of every kind during di- 
vine service. To expel them was not possible ; such how- 
ever, was the noise occasioned by the incessant jingling 
of their spur-rowels, that it was found expedient to pun- 
ish those who approached the body of the church, thus 
indecently equipped, by a small fine, under the name of 
spur money, the exaction of which was committed to the 
beadles and singing-boys. 
Gifford, Note to B. Jonson's Every Man out of his 
[Humour, It 1. 
spurn 1 (spern), v. [< ME. spurnen, spornen, < 
AS.speornan(*spornan,ge-speornan,ge-spornan, 
'spurnan, in Somner, not authenticated), also 
in comp. xt-speornan, eet-spornan (pret. spearn, 
pi. spurnon, pp. spornen) = OS. spurnan = OHG. 
spurnan = Icel. sporna, spyrna, also sperna, kick 
against, spurn with the feet, = L. spernere, 
despise; ult. connected with spin:] I. trans. 
1. To kick against; kick ; drive back or away 
with the foot. 
And Galashin with his fote spumed his body to grounde. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), it 199. 
Am I so round with you as you with me. 
That like a football you do spurn me thus? 
Shak., C. of E., ii. 1. 83. 
2f. To strike against. 
Aungils in hondis schullen beere thee 
Lest thoii spume thi foot at a stoon 
Hymns to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. S.\ p. 43. 
