spur

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for the purpose of…

   A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for the purpose of prodding a horse. Often worn by, and emblematic of, the cowboy or the knight.

   • Lives he, good uncle? thrice within this hour I saw him down; thrice up again, and fighting; From helmet to the spur all blood he was.
2. 2

   A jab given with the spurs.

   • I had hardly said the word, when Kit jumped into the saddle, and gave his horse a whip and a spur — and off it cantered, as if it were in as great a hurry to be married as Kit himself.
3. 3

   Anything that inspires or motivates, as a spur does a horse.

   • She is a theame of honour and renowne, / A ſpurre to valiant and magnanimous deeds, / Whoſe preſent courage may beate downe our foes, / And fame in time to come canonize us, [...]
4. ›+ 27 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      An appendage or spike pointing rearward, near the foot, for instance that of a rooster.

   2. 5

      Any protruding part connected at one end, for instance a highway that extends from…

      Any protruding part connected at one end, for instance a highway that extends from another highway into a city.

   3. 6

      Roots, tree roots.

      • […] the strong-bas'd promontory / Have I made shake; and by the spurs pluck'd up / The pine and cedar […]
      • I do note / That grief and patience, rooted in them both, / Mingle their spurs together.
   4. 7

      A mountain that shoots from another mountain or range and extends some distance in a…

      A mountain that shoots from another mountain or range and extends some distance in a lateral direction, or at right angles.

      • But a narrow spur of rocks arched out and over the hole, ending in an outcrop perhaps a hundred feet across.
   5. 8

      A spiked iron worn by seamen upon the bottom of the boot, to enable them to stand upon…

      A spiked iron worn by seamen upon the bottom of the boot, to enable them to stand upon the carcass of a whale to strip off the blubber.

   6. 9

      A brace strengthening a post and some connected part, such as a rafter or crossbeam

      A brace strengthening a post and some connected part, such as a rafter or crossbeam; a strut.

   7. 10

      The short wooden buttress of a post.

   8. 11

      A projection from the round base of a column, occupying the angle of a square plinth upon…

      A projection from the round base of a column, occupying the angle of a square plinth upon which the base rests, or bringing the bottom bed of the base to a nearly square form. It is generally carved in leafage.

   9. 12

      Ergotized rye or other grain.

   10. 13

       A wall in a fortification that crosses a part of a rampart and joins to an inner wall.

   11. 14

       A piece of timber fixed on the bilgeways before launching, having the upper ends bolted…

       A piece of timber fixed on the bilgeways before launching, having the upper ends bolted to the vessel's side.

   12. 15

       A curved piece of timber serving as a half to support the deck where a whole beam cannot…

       A curved piece of timber serving as a half to support the deck where a whole beam cannot be placed.

   13. 16

       A branch of a vein.

   14. 17

       A very short branch line of a railway line.

   15. 18

       A short branch road of a motorway, freeway or major road.

   16. 19

       A short thin side shoot from a branch, especially one that bears fruit or, in conifers,…

       A short thin side shoot from a branch, especially one that bears fruit or, in conifers, the shoots that bear the leaves.

   17. 20

       To prod (especially a horse) on the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or…

       To prod (especially a horse) on the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or haste, to gig.

       • Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head! Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!
   18. 21

       To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object

       • My desire / (More sharp than filed steel) did spur me forth...
       • But the latest Santa Fe development, while not spurring the Rock Island to any further acceleration, has drawn fire from a totally unexpected quarter.
   19. 22

       To put spurs on.

       • to spur boots
   20. 23

       To press forward

       To press forward; to travel in great haste.

   21. 24

       To form a spur (senses 17-18 of the noun)

       • It spurs off the Robin Hood line, providing ten miles of single-line test track with a three-mile double section, capable of testing up to 75mph.
   22. 25

       A tern.

   23. 26

       A spurious tone, one that interferes with a signal in a circuit and is often masked…

       A spurious tone, one that interferes with a signal in a circuit and is often masked underneath that signal.

   24. 27

       The track of an animal, such as an otter

       The track of an animal, such as an otter; a spoor.

   25. 28

       Alternative form of speer.

       • I haue yonder vncouered a faire girle, Ile be ſo bolde as ſpurre her, vvhat might a bodie call her name?
   26. 29

       An occupational surname from Middle English

   27. 30

       someone connected with Tottenham Hotspur FC, as a fan, player, coach etc.

The neighborhood