Spawn
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 The numerous eggs of an aquatic organism. countable, uncountable
- 2 the mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or molluscs wordnet
- 3 Mushroom mycelium prepared for (aided) propagation. countable, uncountable
- 4 Any germ or seed, even a figurative source. countable, uncountable
"This dreadful idea is the spawn of a large business conglomerate."
- 5 Any germ or seed, even a figurative source.; Children; offspring. countable, derogatory, often, uncountable
"Even the blithely unselfconscious Homer is more than a little freaked out by West’s private reverie, and encourages his spawn to move slowly away without making eye contact with the crazy man."
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- 6 The buds or branches produced from underground stems. countable, uncountable
- 7 Synonym of spawn point. countable, uncountable
- 1 To produce or deposit (eggs) in water. transitive
"A frog spawns thousands of tadpoles every year."
- 2 lay spawn wordnet
- 3 To generate, bring into being, especially non-mammalian beings in very large numbers. transitive
- 4 call forth wordnet
- 5 To bring forth in general. transitive
"The web server spawns a new process to handle each client's request."
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- 6 To induce (aquatic organisms) to spawn. transitive
- 7 To plant with fungal spawn. transitive
- 8 To deposit (numerous) eggs in water. intransitive
"Alewives are anadromous fish: Born in freshwater, they spend their lives in the ocean, returning annually to their birthplaces to spawn."
- 9 To reproduce, especially in large numbers. intransitive
- 10 To appear, or cause (something or someone) to appear, spontaneously in a game world at a particular place and time. ergative
"We put down torches to stop creepers from spawning."
- 11 To appear, or cause (something or someone) to appear, unexpectedly and seemingly out of nowhere. Internet, ergative, figuratively
"Where did he come from? Bro just spawned in."
- 12 Of a person or non-egg-laying animal: to be born. Internet, figuratively, humorous, intransitive
"That kid just spawned and looks like he's already done with life."
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"What might a planet need to spawn life?"
Etymology
Recorded since 1413; from Middle English spawnen, from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Old French espandre, from Latin expandere (“stretch out; spread out”, verb). Doublet of expand. Compare also Middle English spalden, spolden, spawden (“to cut open (a fish)”).
From Middle English spawne, from the verb (see above).