springˈiness noun

springˈing noun

1. The act of leaping, sprouting, starting, rising, or issuing
2. The beginning of curvature of an arch
3. A place of branching
4. Providing with springs

adjective

1. Leaping
2. Arising
3. Dawning
4. Sprouting
5. With the freshness of youth
6. Resilient
7. Starting
8. Beginning to curve

springˈless adjective

springˈlet noun

A little spring

springˈlike adjective

springˈy adjective

1. Elastic
2. Resilient
3. Abounding with springs. See also sprung

spring balance or (esp N American) spring scale noun

An instrument for weighing by the elasticity of a spiral spring

spring beauty noun

An American flowering plant Claytonia virginica of the purslane family

spring beetle noun

A click beetle

springˈ-bladed adjective

(of a knife) having a blade that springs out on pressure of a button

springˈboard noun

1. A springy board for jumping or diving from
2. Anything which serves as a starting point, or from which one can launch ideas, projects, etc

springˈbok noun

1. A S African antelope, Antidorcas marsupialis, that moves in leaps when alarmed (also springˈbuck)
2. (with cap) a South African international sportsman (from emblems of sporting teams, originally the 1906 rugby team; shortened to Bok)
3. Hence also any South African, esp when overseas

spring box noun

1. A box or barrel in which a spring is coiled
2. The frame of a sofa, etc in which the springs are set

springˈ-carriage, springˈ-cart noun

One mounted on springs

spring chicken noun

1. A young chicken, usu between two and ten months old, particularly tender when cooked (chiefly N American; also springˈer)
2. A young, lively, sometimes naïve, person

spring-cleanˈ transitive verb and noun

springˈ-cleanˈer noun

springˈ-cleanˈing noun

A thorough cleaning (esp of a house), usu in spring

spring clip noun

A spring-loaded clip

spring fever noun

1. Spring lassitude (facetious)
2. Restlessness

springˈform adjective

Denoting a type of baking tin with detachable sides and base, held together by a spring

springˈhaas /-häs/ noun (pl springˈhaas or springˈhase)

(Du haas hare) a S African nocturnal rodent, Pedetes capensis (also called spring hare)

springˈhalt noun (veterinary medicine)

A jerking lameness in which a horse suddenly twitches up its leg or legs (also called stringˈhalt)

spring hare see springhaas above.

springˈhead noun

1. A fountainhead, source
2. A head- or end-piece for a carriage spring

springˈ-heeled adjective

Having springs on one's heels, as in spring-heeled Jack, supposed to do great leaps and play pranks or commit robberies

springˈhouse noun (esp US)

A larder, dairy, etc built over a spring or brook in order to keep the contents cool

springing cow noun

A cow about to calf

springˈkeeper noun

A salamander

spring ligament noun

A ligament of the sole of the foot

spring line noun

1. A mooring line (nautical)
2. One of the strips of rubber, steel or wood inserted in and running down the handle of a cricket bat, hockey stick, etc

spring-loadˈed adjective

Having or operated by a spring

spring lock noun

1. A lock in which the bolt is spring-loaded
2. One that opens when a spring is touched

spring mattress noun

A mattress of spiral springs in a frame

spring onion noun

A type of onion, its small bulb and long leaves being eaten raw in salads

spring peeper noun

A N American tree frog that makes a high-pitched call in spring

spring roll noun

A deep-fried Chinese savoury pancake enclosing a mixture of vegetables, pork, prawns, etc

spring scale see spring balance above.

springˈtail noun

Any member of the Collembola order of primitive, wingless insects

springˈtide noun

Springtime

spring tide noun

1. A tide of maximum amplitude after new and full moon, when the forces of the sun and moon act in the same direction
2. Any great rush or flood (figurative)

springˈtime noun

The season of spring

springˈwater noun

Water of or from a spring

spring wheat noun

Wheat sown in the spring, rather than autumn or winter

springˈwood noun

Secondary wood with larger and thinner-walled elements formed in spring and early summer

springˈwort noun

A root thought to be magical, perh mandrake

spring a leak

To begin to leak

spring a mine

To cause it to explode