spring roll 1348
**spring 'roll** /ˈsprɪŋ ˌrəʊl/ also **pancake roll** *BrE* || **egg roll** *AmE* — *n* a Chinese food consisting of a thin case of egg pastry filled with bits of vegetable and often meat and usually cooked in oil
**Spring·steen, Bruce** /ˈsprɪŋstiːn, ˌbruːs/ (1949–) a US ROCK singer and songwriter whose songs often deal with the problems faced by young WORKING-CLASS people in the US. He is known especially for his exciting performances, and is sometimes called 'the Boss'. His ALBUMS include *Born to Run*, *Born in the USA*, and *The Rising*.
**spring 'tide** *n* a large rise and fall of the sea at the times of the new and full moon → compare NEAP TIDE
**spring·time** /ˈsprɪŋtam/ *n* [(the) U] the season of spring; time of spring weather
**spring 'training** *n* [U] *AmE* the period during which a BASEBALL team gets ready for competition
**spring·y** /ˈsprɪŋi/ *adj* having SPRING; able to come back to its original shape; RESILIENT: *a light springy sword* | *springy turf*
**sprin·kle**1 /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ *v* **1** [T] to scatter (small drops of liquid or small bits of solid matter) on or over (a surface or area): [+obj+prep] *He sprinkled vinegar on his fish and chips.* | (fig.) *His sermon was liberally sprinkled with Bible quotations.* → compare SCATTER; see SPREAD (USAGE) **2** [it+] to rain lightly
**sprinkle**2 *n* [C usually sing.] **1** a light rain **2** a sprinkling
**sprin·kler** /ˈsprɪŋklər/ *n* **1** an apparatus for sprinkling water: *a garden sprinkler* **2** a system of fire protection inside a building with pipes for sprinkling water which are turned on by high heat
**sprin·kling** /ˈsprɪŋklɪŋ/ *n* [(of), usually sing.] a small scattered group or amount: *We've only had a sprinkling of snow.* | *There was a sprinkling of new faces at the meeting.*
**sprint**1 /sprɪnt/ *v* [I] to run at one's fastest speed, especially for a short distance: *The runners sprinted down the finishing straight.* → see RUN (USAGE) —**er** *n*
**sprint**2 *n* **1** [S] an act of sprinting: *He put on/made a sprint to catch the bus.* **2** [O usually sing.] a short race for runners: *the 100-yard sprint*
**Sprint·er** /ˈsprɪntər/ *n* a type of fast train used for fairly short rail journeys in the UK
**sprite** /spraɪt/ *n* **1** a fairy, especially a playful graceful one: *a water sprite* **2** an image produced on a SCREEN by a computer, of a special type that can be drawn in LAYERS to give a real life effect to a picture
**Sprite** *trademark* a type of sweet, clear, CARBONATED drink that has a LEMON and LIME taste
**sprit·zer** /ˈsprɪtsər/ *n* [C;U] (a glass of) a drink made with a little SODA WATER: *A white wine spritzer, please.*
**sprock·et** /ˈsprɒkɪt‖ˈsprɑː-/ *n* **1** also **'sprocket wheel** — a wheel with a row of teeth for fitting into and turning a bicycle chain, a photographic film with holes etc **2** a single one of these teeth
**sprog** /sprɒg‖sprɑːg/ *n* *BrE* slang a child
**sprout**1 /spraʊt/ *v* **1** [I;T(from, UP)] to (cause to) grow, appear, or develop: *Leaves are beginning to sprout from the trees.* | *You've sprouted a beard since I last saw you.* | *a forest of chimneys sprouting from the rooftops* **2** [I] to send out new growths: *These old potatoes have begun to sprout.*
**sprout**2 *n* **1** a new growth on a plant; SHOOT **2** *BrE* a BRUSSELS SPROUT **3** *AmE* an ALFALFA sprout → see also BEANSPROUT
**spruce**1 /spruːs/ *n* [C;U] (the wood of) a tree that grows in northern countries and has short needle-shaped leaves that remain in winter
**spruce**2 *adj* neat and clean in appearance; SMART: *looking very spruce in his new suit* —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**spruce**3 *v*
**spruce** (sbdy./sthg. ⇔) **up** *phr v* [I;T] *infml* to make (especially oneself) spruce: *I must go and spruce (myself) up/get spruced up before dinner.*
**sprung**1 /sprʌŋ/ *past participle & (AmE) past tense of SPRING*
**sprung**2 *adj* supported or kept in shape by springs: *a sprung mattress*
**spry** /spraɪ/ *adj* (especially of older people) active and quick in movement: *He's 75 and still spry as a kitten.* —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**spud** /spʌd/ *n* *infml* a potato
**spume** /spjuːm/ *n* [U] especially *lit* a light, white air-filled mass on the top of a liquid, especially on the sea; FOAM
**spun** /spʌn/ *past tense & participle of SPIN*
**spunk** /spʌŋk/ *n* [U] **1** *infml* courage; spirit **2** *BrE* taboo for SEMEN —**y** *adj*
**spur**1 /spɜːr/ *n* **1** a U-shaped object with a point or toothed wheel that is worn round the heel of a rider's boot and used to direct a horse or urge it to go faster: *He dug in his spurs.* **2** [(to)] an event or influence that encourages action; INCENTIVE: *We hope these criticisms will act as a spur to increased effort.* **3** a length of high ground coming out from a range of higher mountains **4** a railway track or road that goes away from a main line or road **5** a stiff sharp growth on the back of some birds' legs **6** on the **spur of the moment** without preparation or planning → see also SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT
**spur**2 *v* -rr- [T(ON)] **1** to use spurs to make (a horse) go faster **2** to urge or encourage forcefully to work harder, perform better etc: *She spurred her team on to greater efforts.*
**spu·ri·ous** /ˈspjʊəriəs/ *adj fm* **1** based on wrong or incorrect reasoning: *spurious arguments/logic* → compare SPECIOUS **2** false or pretended; not GENUINE: *spurious sympathy* **3** *tech* not really the product of the time, writer etc, shown or claimed: *There are some spurious lines in this ancient poem, which were added later.* —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**spurn** /spɜːn‖spɜːrn/ *v* [T] especially *fm* or *lit* to refuse or send away with angry pride; REJECT: *She spurned all offers of help.* | *a spurned lover*
**spur-of-the-'moment** *adj* [A] *infml* done, made, or happening without preparation or planning: *a spur-of-the-moment decision*
**Spurs** /spɜːz‖spɜːrz/ [plural] a famous English football team, whose full name is 'Tottenham Hotspur'. Their football ground is at White Hart Lane in north London.
**spurt**1 /spɜːt‖spɜːrt/ *v* **1** [I;T] to (cause to) flow out suddenly or violently: *Water spurted from the broken pipe.* | *The broken pipe was spurting water.* **2** [I(for)] to make a short sudden effort or increase of activity or speed: *The runner spurted for the line.*
**spurt**2 *n* **1** a short sudden increase of activity, effort, or speed: *He does his work in erratic spurts.* | *She put on a sudden spurt and overtook all the other runners.* **2** [(of)] a sudden usually short pouring out of liquid or gas: *The boiler gave off a spurt of steam.*
**Sput·nik** /ˈspʌtnɪk/ *n* a SATELLITE put into space by the former Soviet Union. There were several Sputniks, but the first of these (Sputnik I in 1957) was the first satellite ever to go around the Earth.
**sput·ter** /ˈspʌtər/ *v* **1** [I] to make repeated soft explosive sounds: *The car's engine started, sputtered for a moment, and died again.* **2** [I;T] to speak or say in confusion —**sutter** *n*: *the sputter of hot fat in the pan*
**spu·tum** /ˈspjuːtəm/ *n* [U] *med* liquid from the mouth, especially as coughed up from the lungs in some diseases
**spy**1 /spaɪ/ *n* a person employed to find out secret information, especially from an enemy or a competitor in business: *The security police have uncovered/exposed/captured a foreign spy.*
**CULTURAL NOTE** In CARTOONS a spy is usually drawn as a man wearing a RAINCOAT. The collar of his coat sticks up so that it hides the lower part of his face, and he typically wears a hat that helps to hide his eyes. A spy in a cartoon usually walks on his toes so that he does not make any noise, and he often hides behind trees or around the corner of a building when he is spying on someone.
**spy**2 *v* **1** [(on, upon)] to work as a spy, trying to find out secret information: *He was expelled from the country for spying on their naval bases.* | *She has been charged with spying for an enemy power.* → compare DOUBLE AGENT **2** [I(into, on)] to watch or search secretly: *From behind her curtain she could spy on her neighbours.* | *It's wrong to spy into other people's*