spurn 
3. To reject with disdain ; scorn to receive or 
consort with ; treat with contempt. 
how my soul would spurn this h;ill of clay, 
And loathe the dainties of earth's painful pleasure: 
Quartet, Emblems, v. 13. 
II. iiitrans. 1. To kick. 
1 purpose not to spurn against the prick, nor labour to 
set up that which <!><! pulleth down. 
Bp. of Ely, in J. Gardner's Richard III., iv. 
2f. To dash the foot against something; light 
on something unexpectedly ; stumble. 
No wight on it sporneth 
That erst was nothynge, into nought it torneth. 
Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 797. 
The maid . . . ran upstairs, but, spurning at the dead 
body, fell upon it in a swoon. Martinus Scriblerus, i. 8. 
3f. To dash; rush. 4. To manifest disdain 
or contempt in rejecting anything; make con- 
temptuous opposition ; manifest contempt or 
disdain in resistance. 
It is very sure that they that be good will bear, and 
not spurn at the preachers. 
Latiiner, 3d Sermon bef. Edw. VI. f 1549. 
Thou art regardless both of good and shame, 
Spurning at virtue and a virtuous name. 
Fletctter, Faithful Shepherdess, v. 3. 
spurn 1 (spern), . [< ME. spurn, aporn; < spurn 1 , 
.] 1. A blow with the foot ; a kick. 
I'le tosse that heele a yard above his head 
That offers but a spurn-c. 
Heywood, Royal King (Works, ed. Pearson, 1874, VI. 31). 
2t. A stumble; a fall. Joseph of Arinuilliii- 
(E. E. T. S.), p. 19. 3. Disdainful rejection; 
contemptuous treatment. 
The insolence of office, and the spurns 
That patient merit of the unworthy takes. 
Shale., Hamlet, 111. 1. 73. 
4. In mining, one of the narrow pillars or con- 
nections left -between the holings, and not cut 
away until just before the withdrawal of the 
sprags. [South Staffordshire coal-field, Eng- 
land.] 
spurn'' (spern), n. [A var. of spur, after spurn 1 , 
v. Cf. G. sporn, spur, orig. an ace. form: see 
spur, H.] 1. A spur. [Prov. Eng.] 2. Apiece 
of wood having one end inserted in the ground, 
and the other nailed at an angle to a gate-post, 
for the purpose of strengthening or supporting 
it. [Prov. Eng.] 
spurn 2 t (spern), r. t. [< spurn"*, n. Cf. spurn*, 
.] To spur. 
The Faery quickly raught 
His poynant speare, and sharply gan to spurne 
His foray steed. Spenser, F. Q., III. 1. 5. 
spurn 3 (spern), n. [Early mod. E. spoorit, 
spoorne; origin obscure.] An evil spirit. 
BalUwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
spurner (sper'ner), n. [< spurn 1 + -er 1 .] One 
who spurns or rejects. 
spurn-pointt (spern'point), . [< spurn 1 + 
point.] An old game, of uncertain nature. 
He stakes heaven at spurnpoint, and trips cross and pile 
whether ever he shall see the face of God or no. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 743. 
spurnwater (spem'wa/'ter), n. [< spurn 1 , v., + 
obj. water.'] Naut., a V-shaped barrier or break- 
water, from 1 to 2 feet or more high, erected on 
sea-going vessels forward of the foremast, to 
shed water coming over the bows. 
spur-pruning (sper'pro"ning), . A mode of 
pruning trees by which one or two eyes of the 
previous year's wood are left and the rest cut 
off, so as to leave spurs or short rods. Com- 
pare spur-system, under spur, 
spurred (sperd), a. [< spur + -ed 2 .] 1. Wear- 
ing spurs: as, a spurred horseman. 2. In or- 
ititli.: (a) Having unusually long claws: as, the 
spurred towhee, Pipilo megalnnyx. S. F. Brtird. 
[Rare.] (6) Having spurs; calcarate. Seesjnir, 
n., 3 (e) (1). (c) Spur-heeled, (d) Spur-winged. 
3. In mammal., herpct., and entom., having 
spurs of any kind; calcarate. 4. In hot., pro- 
ducing or provided with a spur; calcarate. 
Spurred butterfly-pea. See peai . Spurred chame- 
leon, Chanufleon calcifer. Spurred corolla. See co- 
rolla. Spurred gentian. See gentian. Spurred rye. 
See r.yei and ergot i , 2. Spurred tree-frog or tree-toad, 
Polypedeteg eques, of Ceylon, having a calcar. 
spurrer (sper'er), n. 1. One who uses spurs. 
2. Somebody or something that incites or 
urges on. 
I doubt you want a spurrer-on to exercise and to amuse- 
ments. Swtft, To Pope, July 16, 1728. 
spurrey, n. See spurry'*. 
spurrier (sper'ier), n. [Early mod. E. also 
xpnryor; < ME. snorter, sporyer, sparer; < spur 
+ -irri.] One whose occupation is the making 
of spurs. 
Ods so, my spurrier ! put them on, boy, quickly. 
B. Jonson, Staple of News, i. 1. 
5871 
spur-royal (spi'T'roi'al), . [Also ,v/""'-n/"'. 
*ptir-ri<il ; < spur + r/ii/iil. Cf. /'//"'] An English 
gold coin issued by 
James I., and worth 
15s. or 16*. 6d. 
(about .fa.63 or 
$3.99). It was so 
named from the re- 
semblance of the 
sun on its reverse 
to the rowel of a 
par, 
She has ntne spur-roy- 
alt, and the servants say 
she hoards old gold. 
Beau, and Fl., Scornful 
[Lady, i. 1. 
spurry't (sper'i), . 
[<spur + -i/i.] Ka- 
diating, like the 
points on a spur- 
rowel. Chapman, 
Iliad, xix. 367. 
spurry 2 (spur'i), . 
[Also spumy; < OF. 
spurrie, < MD. spo- 
rie, spurie, speurie, 
spurrie, D. spurrie, 
spurry ; cf . G. spar- 
ge], spergel (> Sw. 
Dan. spergel), < ML. 
spergula, spurry ; 
origin obscure.] A 
Spur-royal of James I. British Mu- 
seum. (Size of the original.) 
plant of the genus Spergula. The common species 
Is S. arvensit, the corn-spurry, from whose seeds a lamp- 
oil has sometimes been extracted. Knotted spurry, more 
properly called knotted pearhcort, is Sairina nodosa. The 
lawn-spurry (or properly lawn-pearlwort) is Sagina glabra. 
The sand-spurry is of the genus Spergularia. See Speryula. 
Spurrie [F. ], sparry, or frank ; a Dutch herb and an ex- 
cellent fodder for cattel. Cotyrave. 
spur-shell (sper-shel), u. A shell of the genus 
[mperator (formerly called Calcar): so named 
from its resemblance to the rowel of a spur. 
The term extends to some similar troehiform 
shells. See cut under Imperator. 
spur-shore (sper'shor). n. Naut., same as spur. 
5 0)(l). 
spurt 1 , spirt 1 (spert), r. [Both spellings are 
in use, spirt being etymologically more cor- 
rect, and spurt appar. the more common spell- 
ing; a transposed form of sprit 1 (like bird 1 , 
bird 2 , transposed forms of brid, bride 1 ): see 
sprit 1 . The word is prob. confused with spurt 1 *, 
spirt 2 .'} I. intrans. If. To sprout; shoot. 
Shall a few sprays of us, ... 
Our scions, put in wild and savage stock, 
Spirt up so suddenly into the clouds, 
And overlook their grafters? 
Shak., Hen. V., ill. 6. 8. 
Did you ever see a fellow so spurted up in a moment? 
He has got the right ear of the duke, the prince, princess, 
most of the lords, but all the ladies. 
Marston, The Fawne, ii. 1. 
2. To gush or issue out suddenly in a stream, 
as liquor from a cask; rush with sudden force 
from a confined place in a small jet or stream. 
Thus the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, 
Spirts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock. 
Pope, Dunciad, ii. 178. 
The Prince's blood spirted upon the scarf. 
Tennyson, Geralnt. 
II. trans. To throw or force out in a jet or 
stream; squirt: as, to spurt water from the 
mouth ; to spurt liquid from a tube. 
With toonge three forcked furth spirts fyre. 
Stanihurst, jEneid (ed. Arber, p. 59), ii. 
Toads are sometimes observed to exclude or spirt out a 
dark and liquid matter behind. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., ill. 13. 
spurt 1 , spirt 1 (spert), , [< spurt 1 , spirt 1 , v. 
Cf. sprout, sprit 1 , sprot 1 , n.] If. A shoot; a 
sprout; a bud. 
These nuts . . . have in the mids a little chit or spirt. 
Holland, tr. of Pliny, xv. 22. 
2. A forcible gush of liquid from a confined 
place ; a jet. 
Water, dash'd from fishy stalls, shall stain 
His hapless coat with spirts of scaly rain. 
Gay, Trivia, iii. 106. 
3. A brief and sudden outbreak. 
A sudden spurt of woman's Jealousy. 
Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien. 
4. A school of shad. [Connecticut.] 
spurt' 2 , spirt 2 (spert), v. i. [Both spellings are 
in use, spirt being etymologieally the more cor- 
rect, and spurt the more common spelling; also 
rarely spert; a transposed form of "sprit or 
"spret (cf. E. dial, sprut, jerk), < Icel. spretta 
spur-winged 
(for *s/in-nt) (prot. x/ii-alt. for "xpnnit), start, 
spring, also sprout, spout, = Sw. ispritta, start, 
>';irtl<'. = MIKi. ../</>//,:<, spout, crack; the 
<>rig. iinsiil iippfiiring in XJH'I at, ME. npri'iitcn. 
bound, leap, and the noun xpriut, dial. s/,runl, 
a convulsive struggle. clr.: sre xprciii. xprint.'] 
To make a short, sudden, and exceptional ef- 
fort ; put forth one's utmost energy for a short 
time, especially in raring. 
Cambridge spurted desperately in turn, . . . and so they 
went, fighting every inch of water. C. Iteade, Hard Cash, i. 
Spurt-, Spirt- (sport), n. [Cf. Icel. xpri-flr. a 
spurt, spring, bound, run ; from the verb. Cf. 
x]-Hi<t l . *]ii-i>it.] I. A short, sudden, extra- 
ordinary effort for an emergency; a special 
exertion of one's self for a short distance or 
space of time, as in running, rowing, etc.: as. 
by a fine spurt he obtained the lead. 
The long, steady sweep of the so-called paddle tried 
him almost as much as the breathless strain of the spurt. 
T. lluijlies, Tom lirown at Oxford, I. vi. 
In the race of fame, there are a score capable of brilliant 
spurts for one who comes in winner after a steady pull 
with wind and muscle to spare. 
Lowell, Study Windows, p. 281. 
2f. A short period ; a brief interval of time. 
Heere for a spirt linger, no good opportunity^ scaping. 
Stanihurst, .Eneid, iii. 4.')3. 
He lov'd you but for a spurt or so. 
ilarston and Webster, Malcontent, i. 0. 
spurtle 1 , spirtle 1 (sper'tl), v. t. and i. [Freq. 
of spurt 1 , spirt 1 ; in origin a transposed form 
of spriltle, spruttlc: see spttrt 1 , spirt 1 , sprit 1 , 
spruttle, etc.] To shoot in a scattering man- 
ner; spurt. [Rare.] 
The brains and mingled blood were pirUed on the wall. 
Drayton, Polyolbion, ii. 283. 
spurtle-, Spirtle 2 (sper'tl), . [Dim. of sprit 1 . 
Cf. spurtle 1 , spirtle 1 .'] A stick used for stir- 
ring. [Prov. Eng. and Scotch.] 
She left the spurtle sticking in the porridge. 
Gen. MacDonald, Warlock o' Glenwarlock, xlix. 
spurtle-blade (sper'tl-blad), . A broadsword. 
[Scotch.] 
It 's i an Id he was a sodger bred, . . . 
But now he 's quat the spurtle blade. 
Burns, Captain Grose's Peregrinations. 
spur-track (sper'trak), w. A short track lead- 
ing from a line of railway, and connected with 
it at one end only. 
spur-tree (sper'tre), . A West Indian shrub 
or small tree, Petitia Domingensis. Also called 
yellow fiddlewood. 
spurway (sper'wa), H. A horse-path ; a narrow 
way; a bridle-road; a way for a single beast. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
spur-whang (sper'hwaug), n. A spur-leather. 
Scott, Monastery. [Scotch.] 
spur-wheel (sper'hwel). . The common form 
of cog-wheel, in which the cogs 
are radial and peripheral, and 
made to engage corresponding 
cogs on another wheel. Com- 
pare cut under pinion. E. H. 
Knight. 
spurwing (sper'wing), H. A 
spur-winged bird. Especially (o) 
A jacana, or any bird of the family 
Jacanidee or Parridtf, of which the 
spur on the wing is a characteristic. 
See cut under jacana. (6) A spur- 
winged goose. See cut under Plectropterus. (c) A spur- 
winged plover. See Chettusia and spur-winged. 
Spur-winged (sper'wingd), a. Having a horny 
spur on the pinion, as various birds, it is a 
weapon of offense and defense. It is sometimes double, as 
is well shown in the cut under Palamedea. See also cuts 
under jacana and Plectroptfrus. Spur- winged goose, 
a species of Plectroptents, as P. yambensis. Spur- winged 
plovers, those plovers or lapwings, of the family Chara- 
driidee, and of several different genera, in which a spur is 
developed on the wing (including some species of these 
genera in which such a spur fails to develop). Wing.gpuis 
are more frequent in this than in any other family of birds 
(excepting the related Jacanida or Parridee). None oc- 
cur, however, in the true plovers (of the genera Chara- 
Spur-wheel. 
Kgyptian Spur-winged Plover it/of lof tents 
