spur
noun /spɜː(r)/
/spɜːr/
Idioms - a sharp pointed object that riders sometimes wear on the heels of their boots and use to encourage their horse to go faster
- He dug his spurs into the horse’s sides.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary… of spurs- pair
- dig in
- dig into something
- [usually singular] a fact or an event that makes you want to do something better or more quickly synonym motivation
- spur (to something) His speech was a powerful spur to action.
- A few encouraging words might provide just the spur she needs.
- spur for something The research provided a spur for reform.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- great
- powerful
- act as
- be
- give (somebody)
- …
- spur for
- spur to
- an area of high ground that sticks out from a mountain or hillTopics Geographyc2
- a road or a railway track that leads from the main road or lineTopics Transport by bus and trainc2
Word OriginOld English spora, spura, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch spoor and German Sporn, also to spurn.
Idioms
on the spur of the moment
- suddenly, without planning in advance
- I phoned him up on the spur of the moment.
- a spur-of-the-moment decision
win/earn your spurs
- (formal) to become famous or successfulTopics Successc2