spawn
Zoology. the mass of eggs deposited by fishes, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.
Mycology. the mycelium of mushrooms, especially of the species grown for the market.
Usually Disparaging. a swarming brood; numerous progeny:Diners at the restaurant were annoyed by the two inconsiderate parents and their unruly spawn.
any person or thing regarded as the offspring of some stock, idea, etc.
of or relating to the spawning of a character or item in a video game:a spawn point;the spawn rate.
to deposit eggs or sperm directly into the water, as fishes.
(of a character or item in a video game) to originate at a fixed point in an existing game environment:An enemy character just spawned right on top of me!
to produce (spawn).
to give birth to; give rise to: His sudden disappearance spawned many rumors.
to produce in large number.
to plant with mycelium.
Origin of spawn
1Other words for spawn
Other words from spawn
- spawner, noun
- un·spawned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use spawn in a sentence
Senseless bureaucracy is part of what spawned the Tea Party.
The more serious videos have brought attention to the issue and spawned numerous parodies.
What Does It Feel Like To Be Catcalled? | The Daily Beast Video | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTChristianity spawned the monastic movement, originally in Egypt, that insisted upon peace, self-reliance, education and charity.
Karen Armstrong’s New Rule: Religion Isn’t Responsible for Violence | Patricia Pearson | October 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe couple of movies they spawned can stake a serious claim to the title of “worst film ever made.”
This Sexy Thriller Is Just the Document the Benghazi Commission Needs | Christopher Dickey | September 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd then spawned a race to the bottom to find other foods that were even unhealthier.
Why U.S. Health Care Is So Expensive and So Pathetic | Kent Sepkowitz | June 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sometimes the fishing was best after it had been declared that the herrings had spawned and gone out to sea.
Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange KiellandAnu, the sky god, had "spawned" at creation the demons of cold and rain and darkness.
Myths of Babylonia and Assyria | Donald A. MackenzieMoney—gold calved no golden offspring, bills spawned no further bills as interest.
Mountain | Clement WoodWe'd picked Patcheye Pete's because it was the market closest to the village square where new players spawned.
Little Brother | Cory DoctorowA fresh bed to be made and spawned every three or four weeks, to produce successional crops.
In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year | William Keane
British Dictionary definitions for spawn
/ (spɔːn) /
the mass of eggs deposited by fish, amphibians, or molluscs
often derogatory offspring, product, or yield
botany the nontechnical name for mycelium
(of fish, amphibians, etc) to produce or deposit (eggs)
often derogatory (of people) to produce (offspring)
(tr) to produce or engender
Origin of spawn
1Derived forms of spawn
- spawner, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for spawn
[ spôn ]
The eggs of water animals such as fish, amphibians, and mollusks.
Offspring produced in large numbers.
To lay eggs; produce spawn.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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