Search the Dictionary

A series of short, convulsive inspirations, the glottis being suddenly closed so that little or no air enters into the lungs.

The sudden issuing of a body of troops, usually small, from a besieged place to attack or harass the besiegers; a sally.

To swoop or plunge, as a bird upon its prey; to fall suddenly; to rush with speed; to make a sudden attack. For then I viewed his plunge and souse Into the foamy main. Marston. Jove's bird will souse upon the timorous hare. J. Dryden. Jr.

A sudden, violent, and temporary effort or emotion; as, a spasm of repentance. Cynic spasm (Med.) See under Cynic. -- Spasm of the chest. See Angina pectoris, under Angina.

croup (Med.), an affection of childhood characterized by a stoppage of brathing developed suddenly and without fever, and produced by spasmodic contraction of the vocal cords. It is sometimes fatal. Called also laryngismus stridulus, and childcrowing. -- Spasmodic stricture, a stricture caused by muscular spasm withou…

A sudden motion or action; a fit; a freak; a whim. [Obs. or R.] A thousand spleens bear her a thousand ways. Shak.

To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; -- said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal. See Sport, n., 6. Darwin.

gambler, or the like. -- Sporting plant (Bot.), a plant in which a single bud or offset suddenly assumes a new, and sometimes very different, character from that of the rest of the plant. Darwin.

To weaken, as a joint, ligament, or muscle, by sudden and excessive exertion, as by wrenching; to overstrain, or stretch injuriously, but without luxation; as, to sprain one's ankle.

To issue with speed and violence; to move with activity; to dart; to shoot. And sudden light Sprung through the vaulted roof. Dryden.

d for its graceful form and swiftness, and for its peculiar habit of springing lighty and suddenly into the air. It has a white dorsal stripe, expanding into a broad patch of white on the rump and tail. Called also springer. [Written also springboc, and springbock.]

A noose fastened to an elastic body, and drawn close with a sudden spring, whereby it catches a bird or other animal; a gin; a snare. As a woodcock to mine own springe. Shak.

sanura. They have two elastic caudal stylets which can be bent under the abdomen and then suddenly extended like a spring, thus enabling them to leap to a considerable distance. See Collembola, and Podura.

p; to germinate; to spring forward or outward. [Obs.] To sprunt up, to draw one's self up suddenly, as in anger or defiance; to bristle up. [Local, U.S.]

To gush or issue suddenly or violently out in a stream, as liquor from a cask; to rush from a confined place in a small stream or jet; to spirt. Thus the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, Spurts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock. Pope.

A sudden violent gust of wind often attended with rain or snow. The gray skirts of a lifting squall. Tennyson. Black squall, a squall attended with dark, heavy clouds. -- Thick squall, a black squall accompanied by rain, hail, sleet, or snow. Totten. -- White squall, a squall which comes unexpectedly, without being m…

Abounding with squalls; disturbed often with sudden and violent gusts of wind; gusty; as, squally weather.

A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies. Arbuthnot. My fall was stopped by a terrible squash. Swift.

A sudden or crushing fall. [Obs.] erbert.

A sharp, shrill, disagreeable sound suddenly utered, either of the human voice or of any animal or instrument, such as is made by carriage wheels when dry, by the soles of leather shoes, or by a pipe or reed.