spur

spur
n. & v.
—n.
1 a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel worn on a rider's heel for urging a horse forward.
2 a stimulus or incentive.
3 a spur-shaped thing, esp.: a a projection from a mountain or mountain range. b a branch road or railway. c a hard projection on a cock's leg. d a steel point fastened to the leg of a gamecock. e a climbing-iron. f a small support for ceramic ware in a kiln.
4 Bot. a a slender hollow projection from part of a flower. b a short fruit-bearing shoot.
—v. (spurred, spurring)
1 tr. prick (a horse) with spurs.
2 tr. a (often foll. by on) incite (a person) (spurred him on to greater efforts; spurred her to try again). b stimulate (interest etc.).
3 intr. (often foll. by on, forward) ride a horse hard.
4 tr. (esp. as spurred adj.) provide (a person, boots, a gamecock) with spurs.
Phrases and idioms:
on the spur of the moment on a momentary impulse; impromptu. put (or set) spurs to
1 spur (a horse).
2 stimulate (resolution etc.). spur-gear = spur-wheel. spur royal hist. a 15-shilling coin of James I bearing a spurlike sun with rays. spur-wheel a cog-wheel with radial teeth.
Derivatives:
spurless adj.
Etymology: OE spora, spura f. Gmc, rel. to SPURN

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • SPUR — SPUR, auch S. P. U. R., war eine avantgardistische Gruppe bildender Künstler, die 1958 in München gegründet wurde. Sie leistete einen wichtigen künstlerischen und mit ihrem Manifest auch theoretischen Beitrag zur deutschen Avantgarde nach 1945.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Spur — Spur, n. [OE. spure, spore, AS. spura, spora; akin to D. spoor, G. sporn, OHG. sporo, Icel. spori, Dan. spore, Sw. sporre, and to AS. spor a trace, footstep, spyrian to trace, track, examine, and E. spurn. [root]171. Cf. {Sparrow}, {Spere},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spur — spur; spur·blind; spur·less; spur·ling; spur·ri·er; spur·ry; spur·tive; spur·tle; spur·rey; …   English syllables

  • Spur — Spur: Das altgerm. Substantiv mhd. spur, spor, ahd. spor, niederl. spoor, aengl. spor, schwed. spår ist im Sinne von »Tritt, Fußabdruck« verwandt mit ahd. spurnan »spornen«, aengl. spurnan »anstoßen, verschmähen« und aisl. sporna, sperna »treten …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • spur — [spʉr] n. [ME spure < OE spura, akin to Ger sporn < IE base * sp(h)er , to jerk, push with the foot > SPURN, Sans sphurāti, (he) kicks away, L spernere, lit., to push away] 1. any of various pointed devices worn on the heel by the rider… …   English World dictionary

  • Spur 1 — Spur I Gartenbahn in der Miniaturlandschaft des Bekonscot Model Village (England) Spur I Tin Plate Spielzeugeisenbahn der Firma Märklin Die Nenngröße I ( …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Spur — Sf std. (8. Jh.), mhd. spür, spur f./n., ahd. spur n., mndd. spor, mndl. spor n Stammwort. Aus g. * spura n. Spur , auch in anord. spor, ae. spor n. Ableitung aus dem unter Sporn behandelten g. * spur na Vst. treten , also eigentlich Tritt .… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Spur — Spur, Spurweite (gauge; écartement des rails; scartamento), die gegenseitige Entfernung der beiden zu einem Gleis gehörigen Schienenstränge senkrecht zwischen den Innenkanten der Schienenköpfe, u.zw. nach den T.V. 14 mm unter Schienenoberkante… …   Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens

  • spur — (n.) O.E. spura, spora (related to spurnan to kick, see SPURN (Cf. spurn)), from P.Gmc. *spuron (Cf. O.N. spori, M.Du. spore, Du. spoor, O.H.G. sporo, Ger. Sporn spur ), from PIE *spere ankle ( …   Etymology dictionary

  • Spur — Spur, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spurred} (sp[^u]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Spurring}.] 1. To prick with spurs; to incite to a more hasty pace; to urge or goad; as, to spur a horse. [1913 Webster] 2. To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spur — Spur, v. i. To spur on one s horse; to travel with great expedition; to hasten; hence, to press forward in any pursuit. Now spurs the lated traveler. Shak. [1913 Webster] The Parthians shall be there, And, spurring from the fight, confess their… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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