Collins English-English Dictionary

spring [sprɪŋ]

1. 1. n [nautical] spring line a mooring line, usually one of a pair that cross amidships

2. 2. vb to move or cause to move suddenly upwards or forwards in a single motion

3. 3. vb to release or be released from a forced position by elastic force

   the bolt sprang back

4. 4. vt. [tr] to leap or jump over

5. 5. vi. [intr] to come, issue, or arise suddenly

6. 6. vi. [intr] (of a part of a mechanism, etc) to jump out of place

7. 7. vi. to make (wood, etc) warped or split or (of wood, etc) to become warped or split

8. 8. vi. to happen or cause to happen unexpectedly

   to spring a surprise

   the boat sprung a leak

9. 9. vi. [intr] to develop or originate

   the idea sprang from a chance meeting

10. 10. vi. [intr; usually foll by from] to be descended

    he sprang from peasant stock

11. 11. vi. [intr; often foll by up] to come into being or appear suddenly

    factories springing up

12. 12. vt. [tr] (of a gun dog) to rouse (game) from cover

13. 13. vi. [intr] (of game or quarry) to start or rise suddenly from cover

14. 14. vi. [intr] to appear to have a strong upward movement

    the beam springs away from the pillar

15. 15. vi. to explode (a mine) or (of a mine) to explode

16. 16. vt. [tr] to provide with a spring or springs

17. 17. vt. [tr] [informal] to arrange the escape of (someone) from prison

18. 18. vi. [intr] [archaic or poetic] (of daylight or dawn) to begin to appear

19. 19. n the act or an instance of springing

20. 20. n a leap, jump, or bound

21. 21. n

22. 22. n the quality of resilience; elasticity

23. 23. n (as modifier)

    spring steel

24. 24. n the act or an instance of moving rapidly back from a position of tension

25. 25. n

26. 26. n a natural outflow of ground water, as forming the source of a stream

27. 27. n (as modifier)

    spring water

28. 28. n

29. 29. n a device, such as a coil or strip of steel, that stores potential energy when it is compressed, stretched, or bent and releases it when the restraining force is removed

30. 30. n (as modifier)

    a spring mattress

31. 31. n a structural defect such as a warp or bend

32. 32. n

33. 33. n [sometimes capital] the season of the year between winter and summer, astronomically from the March equinox to the June solstice in the N hemisphere and from the September equinox to the December solstice in the S hemisphere

34. 34. n (as modifier)

    spring showers

35. 35. n the earliest or freshest time of something

36. 36. n a source or origin

37. 37. n one of a set of strips of rubber, steel, etc, running down the inside of the handle of a cricket bat, hockey stick, etc

38. 38. n a flock of teal

39. 39. n another name for springing

40. 40. n [Etymology] Old English springan; related to Old Norse springa, Old High German springan, Sanskrit sprhayati he desires, Old Slavonic pragu grasshopper