spur

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /spɝ/ UK /spɜː/ See IPA manual

Freq #16554

Meanings

1

verb
To encourage or push someone to do something.

The good results spurred her to work even harder.
2

noun
Something that encourages or motivates you to do something.

Winning the prize was a real spur to keep writing.
3

noun
A sharp metal point on the heel of a rider's boot, used to make a horse go faster.

The rider dug his spurs into the horse's sides.
4

verb
To make a horse go faster by pressing the spurs on your boots into its sides.

I spurred my horse to make it go faster.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a sharp metal point on the... gad

Word family

Forms spurlessspurredspurringspurs

Derived forms cockspurfootspurforespurhotspurlarkspurlongspurmastsporesandspurspur-heeledspur-leatherspur-of-the-momentspur-royal

Etymology

From Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”).

spure Middle English spora Old English *spurō Proto-West Germanic *spurô Proto-Germanic *sperH- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

External links

# spur

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /spɝ/
**IPA (UK):** /spɜː/
**Frequency rank:** 16554

## Meanings
1. To encourage or push someone to do something.
2. Something that encourages or motivates you to do something.
3. A sharp metal point on the heel of a rider's boot, used to make a horse go faster.
4. To make a horse go faster by pressing the spurs on your boots into its sides.

## Examples
- The good results spurred her to work even harder.
- Winning the prize was a real spur to keep writing.
- The rider dug his spurs into the horse's sides.
- I spurred my horse to make it go faster.

## Derived Forms
- cockspur
- footspur
- forespur
- hotspur
- larkspur
- longspur
- mastspore
- sandspur
- spur-heeled
- spur-leather
- spur-of-the-moment
- spur-royal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: spure
- Root: spora
- Root: *spurō
- Root: *spurô
- Root: *sperH-

## Etymology
From Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”).

## AI Etymology
Spur is from Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”). In present-day use, it can mean to encourage or push someone to do something, or something that encourages or motivates you to do something. Derived formations include cockspur, footspur, forespur, hotspur, larkspur.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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spur

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