spark

English

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Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Middle English sparke, sperke, from Old English spearca, from Proto-Germanic *sparkōn (cf. Dutch sprank, Middle Low German sparke), from Proto-Indo-European *sp(h)er(e)g- 'to strew, sprinkle' (compare Breton erc'h ‘snow’, Latin spargere ‘to scatter, spread’, sparsus ‘scattered’, Lithuanian sprógti ‘to germinate’, Ancient Greek spargân ‘to swell’, Avestan frasparega ‘branch, twig’, Sanskrit Parjanva ‘rain, rain god’).

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

  1. A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire.
  2. A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
  3. (figuratively) A small amount of something, such as an idea, that has the potential to become something greater, just as a spark can start a fire.
  4. (in plural sparks but treated as a singular) A ship's radio operator.
  5. (UK, slang) An electrician.
Synonyms
  • (small amount of something, such as an idea, that has the potential to become something greater): beginnings, germ, glimmer
Derived terms
Translations
particle of glowing matter
burst of electrical discharge
figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
informal: ship's radio operator

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

  1. (transitive) To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
    • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, BBC Sport:
      The introduction of substitute Andy Carroll sparked Liverpool into life and he pulled a goal back just after the hour - and thought he had equalised as Kenny Dalglish's side laid siege to Chelsea's goal in the closing stages.
  2. (intransitive) To give off a spark or sparks.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

probably Scandinavian, akin to Old Norse sparkr 'sprightly'

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

  1. A gallant, a foppish young man.
    • Prior
      The finest sparks and cleanest beaux.
  2. A beau, lover.

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

  1. To woo, court.

Derived terms

References

  • Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

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Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse spark, verbal noun to sparka (“to kick”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /spark/, [sb̥ɑːɡ̊]

Noun

spark n (singular definite sparket, plural indefinite spark)

  1. kick

Inflection

    Inflection of spark
neuter gender Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative, dative and accusative spark sparket spark sparkene
genitive sparks sparkets sparks sparkenes

Verb

spark

  1. imperative of sparke
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Faroese

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /spaɹ̥k/

Noun

spark n (genitive singular sparks, plural spørk)

  1. kick

Declension

n5 Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative spark sparkið spørk spørkini
Accusative spark sparkið spørk spørkini
Dative sparki sparkinum spørkum spørkunum
Genitive sparks sparksins sparka sparkanna

Derived terms

  • sparka (to kick)
  • brotsspark (penalty kick)
  • fríspark (free kick)
  • hornaspark (corner kick)
  • málspark (goal kick)
  • neyðspark (when forced to kick the ball off)
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Icelandic

Noun

spark n

  1. a kick

Derived terms

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Swedish

Noun

spark c

  1. a kick

Derived terms

Declension

Declension of spark
singular plural
Common indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative spark sparken sparkar sparkarna
genitive sparks sparkens sparkars sparkarnas
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Last modified on 19 May 2013, at 22:40