Sprig
/spɹɪɡ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small shoot or twig of a tree or other plant; a spray.
"a sprig of laurel or of parsley"
- 2 an ornament that resembles a spray of leaves or flowers wordnet
- 3 An ornament resembling a small shoot or twig.
- 4 a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year wordnet
- 5 One of the separate pieces of lace fastened on a ground in applique lace.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A youth; a lad. derogatory, humorous, mildly, sometimes
"a sprig whom I remember, with a whey-face and a satchel, not so many years ago"
- 7 A brad, or nail without a head.
- 8 A small eyebolt ragged or barbed at the point.
- 9 A house sparrow.
Verb
- 1 To decorate with sprigs, or with representations of sprigs, as in embroidery or pottery.
- 2 To nail the sole onto a shoe.
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Put a sprig of mint on top as a garnish."
Etymology
From Middle English sprig, sprigge, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle Low German sprik, spricke (“a dry, easily broken twig that has fallen from a tree; sprig”). Compare also dialectal English sprag (“sprig, twig”), English spray (“branch”), Old English spræc (“a shoot”), German Low German Spricke, Sprick (“dry branch, twig”).