Spring (?), v. i.
[imp. Sprang (?) or Sprung (&?;);
p. p. Sprung; p. pr. & vb.
n. Springing.] [AS. springan; akin to D. & G.
springen, OS. & OHG. springan, Icel. & Sw.
springa, Dan. springe; cf. Gr. &?; to hasten. Cf.
Springe, Sprinkle.]
1. To leap; to bound; to jump.
The mountain stag that springs
From height to height, and bounds along the plains.
Philips.
2. To issue with speed and violence; to move
with activity; to dart; to shoot.
And sudden light
Sprung through the vaulted roof.
Dryden.
3. To start or rise suddenly, as from a
covert.
Watchful as fowlers when their game will
spring.
Otway.
4. To fly back; as, a bow, when bent,
springs back by its elastic power.
5. To bend from a straight direction or plane
surface; to become warped; as, a piece of timber, or a plank,
sometimes springs in seasoning.
6. To shoot up, out, or forth; to come to the
light; to begin to appear; to emerge; as a plant from its seed, as
streams from their source, and the like; -often followed by up,
forth, or out.
Till well nigh the day began to
spring.
Chaucer.
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause
the bud of the tender herb to spring forth.
Job
xxxviii. 27.
Do not blast my springing hopes.
Rowe.
O, spring to light; auspicious Babe, be
born.
Pope.
7. To issue or proceed, as from a parent or
ancestor; to result, as from a cause, motive, reason, or
principle.
[They found] new hope to spring
Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linked.
Milton.
8. To grow; to prosper.
What makes all this, but Jupiter the king,
At whose command we perish, and we spring?
Dryden.
To spring at, to leap toward; to attempt to
reach by a leap. -- To spring forth, to
leap out; to rush out. -- To spring in, to
rush in; to enter with a leap or in haste. -- To spring
on or upon, to leap on; to rush on
with haste or violence; to assault.
Spring (?), v. t. 1.
To cause to spring up; to start or rouse, as game; to cause to
rise from the earth, or from a covert; as, to spring a
pheasant.
2. To produce or disclose suddenly or
unexpectedly.
She starts, and leaves her bed, amd springs a
light.
Dryden.
The friends to the cause sprang a new
project.
Swift.
3. To cause to explode; as, to spring a
mine.
4. To crack or split; to bend or strain so as
to weaken; as, to spring a mast or a yard.
5. To cause to close suddenly, as the parts of
a trap operated by a spring; as, to spring a trap.
6. To bend by force, as something stiff or
strong; to force or put by bending, as a beam into its sockets, and
allowing it to straighten when in place; -- often with in,
out, etc.; as, to spring in a slat or a bar.
7. To pass over by leaping; as, to
spring a fence.
To spring a butt (Naut.), to loosen
the end of a plank in a ship's bottom. -- To spring a
leak (Naut.), to begin to leak. --
To spring an arch (Arch.), to build an
arch; -- a common term among masons; as, to spring an arch over
a lintel. -- To spring a rattle, to cause a
rattle to sound. See Watchman's rattle, under
Watchman. -- To spring the luff
(Naut.), to ease the helm, and sail nearer to the wind than
before; -- said of a vessel. Mar. Dict. -- To
spring a mast or spar (Naut.),
to strain it so that it is unserviceable.
Spring, n. [AS. spring a
fountain, a leap. See Spring, v. i.]
1. A leap; a bound; a jump.
The prisoner, with a spring, from prison
broke.
Dryden.
2. A flying back; the resilience of a body
recovering its former state by elasticity; as, the spring of a
bow.
3. Elastic power or force.
Heavens! what a spring was in his
arm!
Dryden.
4. An elastic body of any kind, as steel,
India rubber, tough wood, or compressed air, used for various
mechanical purposes, as receiving and imparting power, diminishing
concussion, regulating motion, measuring weight or other
force.
&fist; The principal varieties of springs used in mechanisms are
the spiral spring (Fig. a), the coil spring (Fig.
b), the elliptic spring (Fig. c), the half-
elliptic spring (Fig. d), the volute spring, the
India-rubber spring, the atmospheric spring, etc.
5. Any source of supply; especially, the
source from which a stream proceeds; as issue of water from the earth;
a natural fountain. "All my springs are in thee." Ps.
lxxxvii. 7. "A secret spring of spiritual joy."
Bentley. "The sacred spring whence and honor streams."
Sir J. Davies.
6. Any active power; that by which action, or
motion, is produced or propagated; cause; origin; motive.
Our author shuns by vulgar springs to move
The hero's glory, or the virgin's love.
Pope.
7. That which springs, or is originated, from
a source; as: (a) A race; lineage.
[Obs.] Chapman. (b) A youth; a
springal. [Obs.] Spenser. (c) A
shoot; a plant; a young tree; also, a grove of trees; woodland.
[Obs.] Spenser. Milton.
8. That which causes one to spring;
specifically, a lively tune. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
9. The season of the year when plants begin to
vegetate and grow; the vernal season, usually comprehending the months
of March, April, and May, in the middle latitudes north of the
equator. "The green lap of the new-come spring."
Shak.
&fist; Spring of the astronomical year begins with the
vernal equinox, about March 21st, and ends with the summer solstice,
about June 21st.
10. The time of growth and progress; early
portion; first stage. "The spring of the day." 1 Sam.
ix. 26.
O how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day.
Shak.
11. (Naut.) (a) A crack
or fissure in a mast or yard, running obliquely or transversely.
(b) A line led from a vessel's quarter to her
cable so that by tightening or slacking it she can be made to lie in
any desired position; a line led diagonally from the bow or stern of a
vessel to some point upon the wharf to which she is moored.
Air spring, Boiling spring,
etc. See under Air, Boiling, etc. --
Spring back (Bookbinding), a back with a
curved piece of thin sheet iron or of stiff pasteboard fastened to the
inside, the effect of which is to make the leaves of a book thus bound
(as a ledger or other account or blank book) spring up and lie
flat. -- Spring balance, a contrivance for
measuring weight or force by the elasticity of a spiral spring of
steel. -- Spring beam, a beam that supports
the side of a paddle box. See Paddle beam, under Paddle,
n. -- Spring beauty.
(a) (Bot.) Any plant of the genus
Claytonia, delicate herbs with somewhat fleshy leaves and
pretty blossoms, appearing in springtime. (b)
(Zoöl.) A small, elegant American butterfly (Erora
læta) which appears in spring. The hind wings of the male
are brown, bordered with deep blue; those of the female are mostly
blue. -- Spring bed, a mattress, under bed,
or bed bottom, in which springs, as of metal, are employed to give the
required elasticity. -- Spring beetle
(Zoöl.), a snapping beetle; an elater. --
Spring box, the box or barrel in a watch, or
other piece of mechanism, in which the spring is contained. --
Spring fly (Zoöl.), a caddice fly; -
- so called because it appears in the spring. -- Spring
grass (Bot.), a vernal grass. See under
Vernal. -- Spring gun, a firearm
disharged by a spring, when this is trodden upon or is otherwise
moved. -- Spring hook (Locomotive
Engines), one of the hooks which fix the driving-wheel spring
to the frame. -- Spring latch, a latch that
fastens with a spring. -- Spring
lock, a lock that fastens with a spring. --
Spring mattress, a spring bed. --
Spring of an arch (Arch.) See
Springing line of an arch, under Springing. --
Spring of pork, the lower part of a fore
quarter, which is divided from the neck, and has the leg and foot
without the shoulder. [Obs.] Nares.
Sir, pray hand the spring of pork to
me.
Gayton.
--
Spring pin (Locomotive Engines), an
iron rod fitted between the springs and the axle boxes, to sustain and
regulate the pressure on the axles. -- Spring
rye, a kind of rye sown in the spring; -- in distinction
from winter rye, sown in autumn. -- Spring
stay (Naut.), a preventer stay, to assist the
regular one. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Spring
tide, the tide which happens at, or soon after, the new
and the full moon, and which rises higher than common tides. See
Tide. -- Spring wagon, a wagon in which
springs are interposed between the body and the axles to form elastic
supports. -- Spring wheat, any kind of
wheat sown in the spring; -- in distinction from winter wheat,
which is sown in autumn.
Spring (?), v. i.
[imp. Sprang (?) or Sprung (&?;);
p. p. Sprung; p. pr. & vb.
n. Springing.] [AS. springan; akin to D. & G.
springen, OS. & OHG. springan, Icel. & Sw.
springa, Dan. springe; cf. Gr. &?; to hasten. Cf.
Springe, Sprinkle.]
1. To leap; to bound; to jump.
The mountain stag that springs
From height to height, and bounds along the plains.
Philips.
2. To issue with speed and violence; to move
with activity; to dart; to shoot.
And sudden light
Sprung through the vaulted roof.
Dryden.
3. To start or rise suddenly, as from a
covert.
Watchful as fowlers when their game will
spring.
Otway.
4. To fly back; as, a bow, when bent,
springs back by its elastic power.
5. To bend from a straight direction or plane
surface; to become warped; as, a piece of timber, or a plank,
sometimes springs in seasoning.
6. To shoot up, out, or forth; to come to the
light; to begin to appear; to emerge; as a plant from its seed, as
streams from their source, and the like; -often followed by up,
forth, or out.
Till well nigh the day began to
spring.
Chaucer.
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause
the bud of the tender herb to spring forth.
Job
xxxviii. 27.
Do not blast my springing hopes.
Rowe.
O, spring to light; auspicious Babe, be
born.
Pope.
7. To issue or proceed, as from a parent or
ancestor; to result, as from a cause, motive, reason, or
principle.
[They found] new hope to spring
Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linked.
Milton.
8. To grow; to prosper.
What makes all this, but Jupiter the king,
At whose command we perish, and we spring?
Dryden.
To spring at, to leap toward; to attempt to
reach by a leap. -- To spring forth, to
leap out; to rush out. -- To spring in, to
rush in; to enter with a leap or in haste. -- To spring
on or upon, to leap on; to rush on
with haste or violence; to assault.
Spring (?), v. t. 1.
To cause to spring up; to start or rouse, as game; to cause to
rise from the earth, or from a covert; as, to spring a
pheasant.
2. To produce or disclose suddenly or
unexpectedly.
She starts, and leaves her bed, amd springs a
light.
Dryden.
The friends to the cause sprang a new
project.
Swift.
3. To cause to explode; as, to spring a
mine.
4. To crack or split; to bend or strain so as
to weaken; as, to spring a mast or a yard.
5. To cause to close suddenly, as the parts of
a trap operated by a spring; as, to spring a trap.
6. To bend by force, as something stiff or
strong; to force or put by bending, as a beam into its sockets, and
allowing it to straighten when in place; -- often with in,
out, etc.; as, to spring in a slat or a bar.
7. To pass over by leaping; as, to
spring a fence.
To spring a butt (Naut.), to loosen
the end of a plank in a ship's bottom. -- To spring a
leak (Naut.), to begin to leak. --
To spring an arch (Arch.), to build an
arch; -- a common term among masons; as, to spring an arch over
a lintel. -- To spring a rattle, to cause a
rattle to sound. See Watchman's rattle, under
Watchman. -- To spring the luff
(Naut.), to ease the helm, and sail nearer to the wind than
before; -- said of a vessel. Mar. Dict. -- To
spring a mast or spar (Naut.),
to strain it so that it is unserviceable.
Spring, n. [AS. spring a
fountain, a leap. See Spring, v. i.]
1. A leap; a bound; a jump.
The prisoner, with a spring, from prison
broke.
Dryden.
2. A flying back; the resilience of a body
recovering its former state by elasticity; as, the spring of a
bow.
3. Elastic power or force.
Heavens! what a spring was in his
arm!
Dryden.
4. An elastic body of any kind, as steel,
India rubber, tough wood, or compressed air, used for various
mechanical purposes, as receiving and imparting power, diminishing
concussion, regulating motion, measuring weight or other
force.
&fist; The principal varieties of springs used in mechanisms are
the spiral spring (Fig. a), the coil spring (Fig.
b), the elliptic spring (Fig. c), the half-
elliptic spring (Fig. d), the volute spring, the
India-rubber spring, the atmospheric spring, etc.
5. Any source of supply; especially, the
source from which a stream proceeds; as issue of water from the earth;
a natural fountain. "All my springs are in thee." Ps.
lxxxvii. 7. "A secret spring of spiritual joy."
Bentley. "The sacred spring whence and honor streams."
Sir J. Davies.
6. Any active power; that by which action, or
motion, is produced or propagated; cause; origin; motive.
Our author shuns by vulgar springs to move
The hero's glory, or the virgin's love.
Pope.
7. That which springs, or is originated, from
a source; as: (a) A race; lineage.
[Obs.] Chapman. (b) A youth; a
springal. [Obs.] Spenser. (c) A
shoot; a plant; a young tree; also, a grove of trees; woodland.
[Obs.] Spenser. Milton.
8. That which causes one to spring;
specifically, a lively tune. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
9. The season of the year when plants begin to
vegetate and grow; the vernal season, usually comprehending the months
of March, April, and May, in the middle latitudes north of the
equator. "The green lap of the new-come spring."
Shak.
&fist; Spring of the astronomical year begins with the
vernal equinox, about March 21st, and ends with the summer solstice,
about June 21st.
10. The time of growth and progress; early
portion; first stage. "The spring of the day." 1 Sam.
ix. 26.
O how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day.
Shak.
11. (Naut.) (a) A crack
or fissure in a mast or yard, running obliquely or transversely.
(b) A line led from a vessel's quarter to her
cable so that by tightening or slacking it she can be made to lie in
any desired position; a line led diagonally from the bow or stern of a
vessel to some point upon the wharf to which she is moored.
Air spring, Boiling spring,
etc. See under Air, Boiling, etc. --
Spring back (Bookbinding), a back with a
curved piece of thin sheet iron or of stiff pasteboard fastened to the
inside, the effect of which is to make the leaves of a book thus bound
(as a ledger or other account or blank book) spring up and lie
flat. -- Spring balance, a contrivance for
measuring weight or force by the elasticity of a spiral spring of
steel. -- Spring beam, a beam that supports
the side of a paddle box. See Paddle beam, under Paddle,
n. -- Spring beauty.
(a) (Bot.) Any plant of the genus
Claytonia, delicate herbs with somewhat fleshy leaves and
pretty blossoms, appearing in springtime. (b)
(Zoöl.) A small, elegant American butterfly (Erora
læta) which appears in spring. The hind wings of the male
are brown, bordered with deep blue; those of the female are mostly
blue. -- Spring bed, a mattress, under bed,
or bed bottom, in which springs, as of metal, are employed to give the
required elasticity. -- Spring beetle
(Zoöl.), a snapping beetle; an elater. --
Spring box, the box or barrel in a watch, or
other piece of mechanism, in which the spring is contained. --
Spring fly (Zoöl.), a caddice fly; -
- so called because it appears in the spring. -- Spring
grass (Bot.), a vernal grass. See under
Vernal. -- Spring gun, a firearm
disharged by a spring, when this is trodden upon or is otherwise
moved. -- Spring hook (Locomotive
Engines), one of the hooks which fix the driving-wheel spring
to the frame. -- Spring latch, a latch that
fastens with a spring. -- Spring
lock, a lock that fastens with a spring. --
Spring mattress, a spring bed. --
Spring of an arch (Arch.) See
Springing line of an arch, under Springing. --
Spring of pork, the lower part of a fore
quarter, which is divided from the neck, and has the leg and foot
without the shoulder. [Obs.] Nares.
Sir, pray hand the spring of pork to
me.
Gayton.
--
Spring pin (Locomotive Engines), an
iron rod fitted between the springs and the axle boxes, to sustain and
regulate the pressure on the axles. -- Spring
rye, a kind of rye sown in the spring; -- in distinction
from winter rye, sown in autumn. -- Spring
stay (Naut.), a preventer stay, to assist the
regular one. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Spring
tide, the tide which happens at, or soon after, the new
and the full moon, and which rises higher than common tides. See
Tide. -- Spring wagon, a wagon in which
springs are interposed between the body and the axles to form elastic
supports. -- Spring wheat, any kind of
wheat sown in the spring; -- in distinction from winter wheat,
which is sown in autumn.
