sprent

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Etymology 1

From Middle English sprenten, from Old Norse *sprenta (for later spretta), from Proto-Germanic *sprantijaną, causative of Proto-Germanic *sprintaną (“to jump up; bounce”), from Proto-Indo-European *sprend-, *sprendʰ- (“to flinch; jump”), from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to twitch; fidget; flinch; jump; be quick”). Cognate with Middle High German sprenzen (“to sprinkle; splash”), Swedish spritta (“to startle”), Icelandic spretta (“to spring forth; emerge; arise; develop”).

Alternative forms

• sprunt

Verb

sprent (third-person singular simple present sprents, present participle sprenting, simple past and past participle sprented)

1. (intransitive, dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To leap; bound; move quickly; dart

Related terms

• sprint

Etymology 2

From Middle English sprent, sprend (“sprinkled”), past participle of Middle English sprengen (“to sprinkle”), from Old English sprengan (“to cause to spring; scatter”), from Proto-Germanic *sprangijaną, causative of *springaną (“to spring; jump”). More at spring.

Adjective

sprent (comparative more sprent, superlative most sprent)

1. (archaic) Sprinkled.

Derived terms

• besprent

Anagrams

• pernts

Middle English

Verb

sprent

1. Alternative form of sprenten