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Spawn

//spɔn// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    The numerous eggs of an aquatic organism. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    the mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or molluscs wordnet
  3. 3
    Mushroom mycelium prepared for (aided) propagation. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    Any germ or seed, even a figurative source. countable, uncountable

    "This dreadful idea is the spawn of a large business conglomerate."

  5. 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."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    The buds or branches produced from underground stems. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    Synonym of spawn point. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To produce or deposit (eggs) in water. transitive

    "A frog spawns thousands of tadpoles every year."

  2. 2
    lay spawn wordnet
  3. 3
    To generate, bring into being, especially non-mammalian beings in very large numbers. transitive
  4. 4
    call forth wordnet
  5. 5
    To bring forth in general. transitive

    "The web server spawns a new process to handle each client's request."

Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    To induce (aquatic organisms) to spawn. transitive
  2. 7
    To plant with fungal spawn. transitive
  3. 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."

  4. 9
    To reproduce, especially in large numbers. intransitive
  5. 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."

  6. 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."

  7. 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."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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)”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English spawne, from the verb (see above).

See also for "spawn"

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