spawn

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /spɔːn/ UK /spɔːn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to produce or generate, especially in large numbers

The scandal spawned a dozen copycat investigations.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to produce or generate,... generate produce breed engender beget create yield

Word family

Derived forms spawningspawner

Related forms expand

Simplified etymology

Spawn entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French espandre, the Old French form of expand, which had the specialized sense “shed, spill, or pour out.”

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman espaundre ('to shed roe'), from Old French espandre ('to spread out, pour out'), from Latin expandere ('to spread out').

espandre Old French expandere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# spawn

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /spɔːn/
**IPA (UK):** /spɔːn/

## Meanings
1. to produce or generate, especially in large numbers

## Examples
- The scandal spawned a dozen copycat investigations.

## Synonyms
- generate
- produce
- breed
- engender
- beget
- create
- yield

## Derived Forms
- spawning
- spawner

## Related Forms
- expand

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: espandre
- Root: expandere

## Etymology
From Anglo-Norman espaundre ('to shed roe'), from Old French espandre ('to spread out, pour out'), from Latin expandere ('to spread out').

## AI Etymology
Spawn comes from Anglo-Norman espaundre ('to shed roe'), from Old French espandre ('to spread out, pour out'), from Latin expandere ('to spread out'). The historical trail runs through Old French espandre and Latin expandere. In modern use it means to produce or generate, especially in large numbers. Derived formations include spawning, spawner; related forms include expand.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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