Definition of spring in English:
spring
verbsprang, sprung sprɪŋsprɪŋ
1no object, with adverbial of direction Move or jump suddenly or rapidly upwards or forwards.
I sprang out of bedfigurative they sprang to her defence- I quickly sprung out of bed and into the shower.
- Violet suddenly sprang forward and seized her by the arm.
- Suddenly, the cat sprang from the bed and pushed its way through a small hole in the door.
- Then the leader sprang forward toward me, pointing his gun at me.
- He springs up when he sees me and approaches the car.
- She shook away the questions that had sprung unbidden to her mind and focused on the present.
- The two men behind her suddenly sprang into action, rushing forward, each one grabbing him under an arm.
- He sprung to prominence last season when he scored the winner at Rochdale on his full debut.
- The horse just sprung into the air and came backwards right down on her.
- The door suddenly swung open, and they sprang apart.
- Chloe then sprang out of her bed and went to her closet.
- He sprang to national prominence when Armagh qualified for the All-Ireland final of 1977.
- In a instant, the door was open and he sprang into the room.
- Jimmy then sprung up, opened the door, and saw his four best buddies.
- Before Whitney had a chance to really answer, Jay sprang from her bed.
- Even some of his political foes sprang to his defence.
- They hid behind the doorway and listened, preparing to spring out and attack if needed.
- Courageous motorists sprang to the aid of two elderly women trapped in their car after an accident in North Yorkshire.
- Suddenly one of the men sprung forward in an attempt to grab Rachel.
- One man is at the head of the boat, and he springs off first as they touch land.
leap, jump, bound, vault, hopappear suddenly, appear unexpectedly, materializeinformal pop up- 1.1no object, with complement or adverbial Move rapidly or suddenly from a constrained position by or as if by the action of a spring.the drawer sprang open
- Design can be an issue, too, as aluminum stampings are more rigid than steel and prone to springing back to their original shape after being formed.
- Once the impact is over and the panel has sprung back to its original shape, the damage can hardly be seen.
- It's raining outside and black umbrellas spring open.
- The holder clips onto your jacket and when you get to a ski lift you simply pull it out to insert the pass into the reader and it springs back into position.
- Before too long one of the doors sprung open and a page asked them to enter.
- It sprang open, and my clothes flew in all directions.
- He stopped in front of it and touched the cabinet's cold metal exterior with a hand, running it along until he found the three locks, all of which sprang open quickly.
- The doors sprang open and Stella was thankful that she had stepped back.
- This time the top drawer sprang open, just missing my head.
- His eyes sprang open as he remembered what had happened the night before.
- Within seconds Kailey had the cell door springing open, and she walked inside.
- It's hard enough to entertain youngsters in a room filled with toys, a TV and a video machine, let alone an airport lounge, or a taxi rank where the only stimulation is the odd suitcase springing open.
- The doors to Titan's office sprang open as the last echoes of a gunshot reverberated throughout the room.
- Sometimes, you can press the pile down with a paint guard or a piece of stiff card, but if it seems likely to spring back and stick to the wet gloss, that is not a good look.
- There was a loud click, and the chest sprang open.
- I was rewarded by a faint click as the lock sprang open.
- The lid sprang open, revealing a small object wrapped in blue silk.
- The branches sprang back into their original positions.
- A Bradford dad-of-two was blinded when a bungee cord he was using to tie up a deckchair sprang open and hit him in the eye.
- This material is light, wears well and springs back to shape after being bent.
- He started to drive off, but the boot sprang open.
fly back, recoilkick backrare resile - 1.2 Operate suddenly by means of a mechanism.the engine sprang into life
- The White House press machine has sprung into action.
- Since the recruitment drive sprung into operation last month, a staggering 248 new members have signed up.
- There was a sudden hiss of water, and the sprinklers lining the path sprang into life.
- Perhaps I could devise a way to plant a heavy-duty rat trap in my bag, arranged so it would not spring unless someone stuck their hand where it didn't belong.
- When he entered the kitchen, he reported: The trap beside the hole had indeed sprung, but there was no trace of a rat.
- The freighter's engines sprang to life, deafening its only two occupants.
- He waited until Max had lined up his shot perfectly to spring the trap.
- When the alarm went off, the vibrations had sprung the trap every time.
- She pressed down on a button and the ship shuddered as the main engine sprung to life.
- 1.3with object Cause (a game bird) to rise from cover.
- 1.4informal with object Bring about the escape or release of (a prisoner)the president sought to spring the hostages
- We cannot intervene with the police to get British citizens released, nor spring them from jail.
- He's the guy who sprang you from prison four years ago. Remember?
- All was right in the Harriet house until the culprits were sprung from jail by their eighteen-year-old son.
- His protectors had sprung the 14-year-old Tyson from borstal on the promise of giving him a stable home and schooling.
- The other is 23 and was recently sprung from prison after serving a couple of sentences for drug/weapons charges.
- His offer of a $100m dollar reward for whoever springs him from custody leads to a daring escape and chase sequence which is one of the film's highlights.
- Is there a huge problem with renegade owners unlawfully springing their offending dogs from the doggy jail?
- When two men spring their wives from prison, it goes so well they decide to make jail-breaking their business.
- Chickens, turkeys, pigs, rabbits and ducks are also being sprung from their cages and sent out to pasture.
- Then he is sprung from prison by close associate Mike Carter so that Bannion can lead a daring racetrack heist.
2spring fromno object Originate or arise from.
madness and creativity could spring from the same source- It is not fair that Ditko goes so unmentioned, but at least some of that springs from his refusal to speak with reporters, allow himself to be photographed, etc.
- Like it or not, the beauty of mathematics springs from its rigorous austerity.
- Beardslee's knowledge and passion for this issue springs from his own quest for answers following his sister's depression and suicide.
- There are several research questions that spring from the results of this study.
- But all of this springs from a single principle: that steady, permanent relationships are key to helping children heal and families cope.
- Auster speaks of ‘…an art that springs from self-denial and spiritual struggle, from the search for one's own limits’.
- Sexual identity is rooted in every person's biology before birth and springs from a variation in our individual genome.
- Furthermore, I began to realize just how many problems and troubles spring from this fact.
- It may be that the reconstituted family, composed of former spouses and step relations, is a reality for many today; kindness can spring from the most unexpected sources.
- From there sprung his interest in that part of Africa.
- Hope, though, does spring from some unexpected corners.
- Obsession with grain-growing sprang, of course, from an age-old but well-justified fear of famine.
- And it's surely no coincidence that this most overtly mercenary of musical forms springs from an urban area lying only a few miles from Hollywood where the global entertainment industry is headquartered.
- Clearly, there's a lot of business activity in the inner cities, but only a small fraction of it appears to spring from the people who grew up there.
- From this dynamic leader's audacious vision has sprung a city that is breathtaking in scale and vision.
- From the set to the characters' odd and affecting mannerisms, the whole enterprise suggested the kind of apparent simplicity and artlessness that only springs from hard work.
- But the inspiration for Faulks' new novel originally sprang from a childhood memory of a ‘peculiar boy’ in the village where he grew up, and the tragic illness of a family friend.
originate from, have its origins in, derive from, arise from, stem from, emanate from, proceed from, start from, issue from, evolve from, come from- 2.1 Appear suddenly or unexpectedly from.tears sprang from his eyes
- She hugged me again and new tears sprang from her eyes.
- Where the blazes did he spring from?
- 2.2spring up Suddenly develop or appear.a terrible storm sprang up
- She was concerned about the number of industrial buildings that were springing up near the motorway exit close to her home.
- A string of high-priced flat developments has sprung up across the centre, and selling agents are reporting huge demand.
- Then, almost unnoticed, a playful breeze sprang up, which turned rather suddenly into something stiffer.
- There will be lambs in the fields soon and bulbs springing up.
- Everywhere you turn in Glasgow it seems another new development with an evocative name is springing up.
- Gale-force winds spring up with little warning, whipping the surface of the lakes into a frenzy of white-capped waves.
- This population boom is reflected in the number of new houses springing up along the little roads leading to and from the village.
- For those who want to enjoy the attractions of Durban without being trapped in the city, a number of coastal resorts are springing up.
- Large commercial developments are starting to spring up in the town.
- They hauled the fish on board - this time I was up on the cabin top filming - a somewhat precarious perch as a stiff wind had sprung up and the boat was rocking quite wildly.
- New developments, apartments, balconied villas, shops and restaurants are springing up everywhere.
- Lights were slowly springing up all over the city and the stars began to appear over head.
- Selling books is big business with branches of Waterstones, Blackwells and Ottakers springing up all over the place.
- Controversial new masts are springing up across Hampshire as a new high-tech police radio system is set to be launched.
- New dive operations and resorts have sprung up everywhere.
- The profile of the penthouse buyer is as diverse as the number of developments that have sprung up in recent years.
- Coffee shops were also springing up in the provincial cities.
- Many theories and approaches to development have sprung up in the past fifty years, including the post-modernism anti-development.
- Little interesting places to eat are springing up like tulips everywhere on Centre Street North.
- Wood processing facilities have sprung up in many areas of the United States in recent years, particularly in areas with high landfill costs.
- 2.3spring something onwith object Present or propose something suddenly or unexpectedly to (someone)we decided to spring a surprise on them
- You've just sprung this on me and you expect me to react well?
- The biggest complaint is that the city officials went outside the approval process and sprang this on us as a done deal.
- People are clearly worried and figure, ‘They are just waiting until the election is over to spring the bad news on us.’
- Usually it was Al who enjoyed springing outrageous surprises on his more staid partner.
- Lal continues to spring surprises on audiences.
- After our mutual greetings, he sprung something on me that I wasn't expecting.
- But he is wary of an announcement being sprung on him.
- I think I might have sprung the idea on him a little too soon.
- How very unlike you, Eaton, to spring this surprise upon your family!
- Anyway, I hope your first day back at University, school, or even a college of Further Education is not too hard, and your lecturer/teacher doesn't spring a surprise test on you.
- Life has a habit of springing surprises on you, pleasant and unpleasant.
- Do you think she's angry with me for springing the wedding on her the way I did?
- Latham is at his best when he springs surprises on the Government.
- The trust's decision to close Sandra House was sprung on the residents without consultation, and with no real attempt to explain the reasoning that led to it.
- Now, you just forget we've had this conversation and make sure you behave in a suitably astonished manner when she finally springs her little surprise on you.
- Whenever something bad happens or is just sprung upon you, you always try to see that positive silver lining lurking beneath the surface somewhere.
- He said: ‘The Home Secretary was wrong to spring his decision on the police authority, and they are within their rights to take the final decision.’
- You just can't spring these things on someone, I need earlier notice!
- He chose a November night in 1892 to spring his idea on the Intelligentsia of Paris with a speech at the Sorbornne.
- I feel a little guilty for springing the whole problem on her without warning.
announce suddenly/unexpectedly, present suddenly/unexpectedly, introduce suddenly/unexpectedly, reveal suddenly/unexpectedly
3usually as adjective sprungwith object Cushion or fit (a vehicle or item of furniture) with springs.
a fully sprung bed- The development will see the coach house turned into an education room with a lightly sprung floor for the provision of performance arts.
- The drawing room includes a sprung German oak floor, as well as wood-panelled walls and an eye-catching fireplace in white marble.
- In smaller towns, theaters may not have sprung floors or the manpower to cater to dancers' requests.
- Last night I actually dropped him on a nice sprung wood floor during a dance rehearsal.
- This is a softly sprung car, which makes it roll at the slightest hint of a corner.
- The building also boasts one of the first sprung dance floors with a balcony, dining room with chandeliers and stained glass windows.
- He introduced ambulances volantes, light, two-wheeled, sprung vehicles, drawn by two horses, for the rapid evacuation of the wounded.
- Mechanically, we spring the cars softly to maximise the grip available to the drivers but also to cope with the bumps and cambers.
- The ballroom floor was sprung but at times I feared for our lives.
- In terms of car set-up, we try to spring the cars quite stiffly in order to get a responsive change of direction through the chicanes.
- Combined with sundeck, swimming pool and sprung sitting room flooring for dancing, these touches might have pushed opulence towards showiness.
- Also, the NSX felt skittish at high speed along poor surfaces, but that's not unusual for such a firmly sprung car.
4no object (especially of wood) become warped or split.
- 4.1with object (of a boat) suffer splitting of (a mast or other part).
- 4.1with object (of a boat) suffer splitting of (a mast or other part).
5spring forNorth American informal no object Pay for.
don't spring for the album until you've heard it- The first time I ever sprang for the hardcover price of a book because I couldn't wait until it came out in paper, it was for a book by Germaine Greer.
- You do have to spring for admission to the Science Center - $10 for adults and $7 for kids - but remember the popular Seattle attraction is air conditioned.
- Let's hope that for the next print run - and there will be a next - the publisher springs for a more sophisticated image.
- Of course, on the upside, we bridesmaids get to wear our own outfits and she's springing for Manolos for everyone.
- You share sunscreen, swap flip-flops and take turns springing for sno-cones.
- If you can afford it, spring for the Deluxe Edition.
- He's a billionaire, but he can't spring for a 37-cent stamp?
- Next time I'm in Vegas, I'm going to spring for a $200 seat up nice and close.
- If you don't want to spring for the whole house (bidding starts at $150,000), you can bid on a piece of plaster or wood from the place.
- Speaking of space, if you can, spring for a cabin with a balcony.
- We also got a bottle of Mustela baby skin freshener as a gift, and while I doubt I'd spring for this stuff myself, it does smell quite nice.
- Besides, it's your folks' fault for not springing for voicemail.
- When I was a lad a baseball cap was a baseball cap, even if you weren't springing for the top-of-the-line officially-licensed fitted variety.
- Few parents are willing to spring for a $250 PSP, especially when Junior already has a PlayStation 2 at home.
- But recently while shopping at BestBuy, I purchased a washer and dryer and actually sprang for their extra warranty.
- We sprung for expensive couchette seats, and ended up with our own little cabin on the boat.
- He's playing Atlanta tonight, and I was wondering if it'd be worth springing for the tickets.
- Look, vacations are expensive - so the parents might not be able to spring for arena tickets.
- She drives the men to Village Inn each week to study and even springs for their beverages, convinced that ‘a different environment will give them the boost they need.’
- After that, I started springing for cabs whenever I was in Brooklyn.
- 5.1archaic with object Spend (money)he might spring a few shillings more
- I'd rather spring an extra dollar for one of her foil-wrapped, stuffed baked potatoes (that's real bacon in there) than content myself with institutional fries.
pay out, lay out, expend, disburse
6Australian informal with object Come upon (an illicit activity or its perpetrator)
our science teacher sprung me acting the goat- No longer did spouses have to allege physical or mental cruelty, no longer did private investigators have to spring someone in an act of adultery.
- He had snuck out of class for a crafty drag and a teacher, Jase, had sprung him.
- He figured that nobody would ever spring him, but he figured wrong.
- As we have seen this week, the Minister has been sprung.
- John was recently in New Zealand visiting from England and he got sprung for drunk driving.
noun sprɪŋsprɪŋ
1The season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November.
in spring the garden is a feast of blossomas modifier spring rain- Early spring is the best time of year to change your garden design.
- If you're anything like me, you'll be longing for the winter to come to an end and looking forward to getting outside and enjoying the spring.
- Koji and I were married in the spring, a year later.
- The peak breeding season is in late spring and early summer, although some breeding takes place throughout the year.
- The club need to carry out renovations in the spring to ensure the building is fit for use throughout next season.
- The spring breeze blew gently through her hair as she entered the park.
- This last week or so, with the sun shining for much of the time and a strong hint of spring in the air, a lot of people will have been spending time outdoors.
- The inland region has a continental climate with very cold winters, hot, humid summers, and spring and autumn seasons that are often rainy.
- Planting potted roses is relatively easy, as long as you do your planting in the spring after any chance of a frost is long past.
- There should be a referendum in the spring or autumn of next year.
- Schoolchildren from York are looking forward to spring so they can see the results of their gardening efforts.
- These weeds often increase with wet springs after years where pastures were over grazed.
- Although the spring migration has barely begun, tens of thousands of geese and huge flocks of ducks are already here.
- Some species provide beautiful displays of color for short periods in the spring or fall.
- When the bulbs come up in the spring and start blooming, you should clip off the blooms as they start to wither.
- My husband and I want to travel to Europe next spring.
- It was a short walk, and in the spring and summer months quite enjoyable.
- Every spring, about 100 pairs nest here along with great blue herons and snowy egrets.
- You don't want to plant your seeds out in the spring until the danger of frost has past.
- More than 5000 people enjoyed the warm spring sunshine during the festival's most action-packed day.
- In spring, it bears masses of pale pink, vanilla-scented blooms.
springtime, Eastertideliterary springtide, Maytime- 1.1Astronomy The period from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice.
- 1.2short for spring tide
- Gordon explained that the ideal tide for the Seven Stones was a low-water spring, with a good hour of slack water and the rocks exposed.
- The slip next to the Teign Diving Centre is usable at all states of the tide except very low springs.
- At springs, the slack lasts 40 minutes and at neaps 90 minutes.
- Wrasse feed on the neap tides and on the springs.
- All the wreckage is in shallow water, less than 7 or 8m even at high tide - in fact it can be too shallow to dive at low-water springs.
- This historic old dock, which only floods at very high springs, was used in olden days by fishermen of the local herring fleet for repairs and for drying of the nets.
- The archipelago has a fourteen-foot tidal difference during spring and neap so the surroundings are ever changing, revealing its secrets.
2An elastic device, typically a helical metal coil, that can be pressed or pulled but returns to its former shape when released, used chiefly to exert constant tension or absorb movement.
- The bottom of the boxes were cushioned with springs to prevent sudden jolts harming the animals.
- Rossiter watched him, as lithe and graceful as ever, his slim form like a coiled spring and ready to explode with energy at any moment.
- Some cutting pliers are set with a spring in the handle that makes it easier and more comfortable to use.
- This apparatus is fitted with ropes and pulleys that are attached to taut springs to create tension.
- By loosening a jack bolt or hydraulically dropping the springs with a switch in the car, the team can get the car closer to the ground.
- In this new upholstery, the same interlaced webbing was still used, but it supported a group of springs rather than horsehair.
- He jumped into the air as if a spring propelled him from the ground.
- The bed springs twanged and the wooden floor boards responded with a creak.
- Compress the spring on the exhaust valve and measure the movement required for the valve to contact the piston.
- Look also for a shock-absorbing shoe - one with springs or coils or spongy material under the heel.
- In its heyday in the 1960s, Tempered Spring employed more than 1,000 people making springs for cars, the agricultural industry, the railways and office equipment.
- This simple action is controlled by a complex mass of gears, switches and springs, like you might find inside a watch.
- Peter Burr is a director and shareholder of Irvine Spring Company, an Ayrshire-based business which manufactures wire shapes and springs for major electronics companies.
- Michael sat on Kay's bed, the springs squeaking as his weight hit the mattress.
- We buy the springs for the mattresses but do the rest of the work ourselves.
- Moving, loosening or adjusting door springs must be done by a garage door serviceperson.
- The kitchen door was on one of those springs to prevent it slamming shut, as a result of which it was well nigh impossible to close it with any kind of speed.
- Oil helps cool the valve springs and extend their useful life.
- Fred Tedesco's company, Pa-Ted, makes springs and small mechanical assemblies for larger companies.
- The tension on the spring can be adjusted using a wing nut so it can grip the line tightly or loosely, whatever the fishing situation demands.
- 2.1mass noun The ability to spring back strongly; elasticity.the mattress has lost its spring
- Generally, the more twist in the carpet yarns, the more spring, which hides footprints.
- His size is a great advantage but he also has spring and ability - in fact he has every attribute to be a top line goalkeeper.
- Groaning, I attempted to sit up as I felt the sharp jabbing a of a bed coil that had long lost its spring shove its way into my side.
springiness, bounciness, bounce, resilience, elasticity, flexibility, stretch, stretchiness, giverare tensility
3in singular A sudden jump upwards or forwards.
with a sudden spring, he leapt on to the table- He rounded the upcoming corner as only he could; a jump and flip, then a spring off the wall of an adjacent building.
- The new year, however, will put a spring in their step.
- With a spring, he jumped out of the alleyway and hoofed it back to his apartment.
leap, jump, bound, vault, hoppouncerare saltation- 3.1dated, informal An escape or release from prison.
4A place where water or oil wells up from an underground source, or the basin or flow formed in such a way.
the well is fed by mountain springs- Shallow springs and poorly constructed wells also are vulnerable to protozoa infection.
- Hot waterfalls cascade from its walls; steam rises from its springs.
- Valerie heard sounds of the forest, the chirping of birds and the tinkling of water from a nearby spring.
- An underground spring supplied water that fell into the basin from a small opening in the tunnel's side, creating an artificial waterfall.
- On its fertile plateau two springs gave crystal-clear water.
- She said builders renovating houses often cut channels into underground springs, resulting in Cotswold stone-coloured silt getting into the watercourse.
- Numerous streams running from springs on the wolds down towards the River Hull have helped shape Beverley's streets.
- The water, which overflows from our three natural springs, cascades onto the clover lawn, creating an oasis.
- But the scheme has incurred the wrath of the Environment Agency because of its potential effect on domestic water supplies from springs in the area.
- The results of the water test showed that pollution was surprisingly minimal, and that there was no sign of sea water leaking into the spring.
- With the population surge, the springs were diverted to municipal uses and the streams dried up leaving once irrigated orchards as parched lands.
- The hamlet is home to about 30 people who take their drinking water from a spring high on the moors above the valley - a source used for centuries.
- A remote Dales village which has never been connected to a mains water supply has been linked up to a moorland spring.
- With their geothermal underground springs, Icelanders heat their water for next to nothing.
- For good hiking, visit Rincón de la Vieja, which boasts many trails leading to waterfalls, warm springs, and swimming holes.
- The only source of water was a spring below a steep bank some thirty yards from the house.
- I paddle about, listening to the faint plop plop of the burbling springs.
- Vichy is known for its hot mineral springs that have been frequented since Roman times.
- I couldn't really see, but I think there was a waterfall at the spring.
well headsourcespa, geyser, hot spring, thermal spring, sulphur springliterary well, wellspring, fount- 4.1usually springs The origin or a source of something.the springs of his own emotions
- It becomes impossible to see the springs of the play's action in terms of mere idiosyncratic personal grudges or teenage angst.
- The immediate aftermath of the war was marked by a nostalgic return by many artists to the springs of Mediterranean culture.
origin, source, fountainhead, root, roots, basis
5An upward curvature of a ship's deck planking from the horizontal.
- 5.1 A split in a wooden plank or spar under strain.
- 5.1 A split in a wooden plank or spar under strain.
6Nautical
A hawser laid out diagonally aft from a ship's bow or forward from a ship's stern and secured to a fixed point in order to prevent movement or assist manoeuvring.7rare A flock of teal.
a spring of teal follows and we listen as they pass- The spring of teals consisted of seven young ones and two old birds.
- To catch a glimpse of that shimmering green as a spring of teal flashes by, I tell you, it's enough to restore a man's soul.
- Birding could produce a veritable spring of teal.
- On approaching the edge of a pond at a distance from a “spring” of teal, they may be seen silently reposing on the water.
- Of all the prizes with which a wild-fowl shooter could wish to meet, a spring of teal is amongst the first.
Phrases
spring a leak
(of a boat or container) develop a leak.
- Second, there was no way to predict, nor any reason to expect, the other hydraulic system would spring a leak.
- After springing a leak below the water line early yesterday morning, skipper Andrew Tozer and the crew of La Bamba were taken aboard the 41-foot catamaran Island Fling.
- Half way across the inlet, in the black silence of the night we discovered that the boat had sprung a leak.
- Just a few miles off the north-west of Menorca, the 500 ton coaster Francisquita sprang a leak and foundered in December 1952.
- One of the 12 small jet engines sprang a leak, and others aren't providing the thrust they should be.
- Simultaneously, the hot water tank decided to spring a leak, and water was dripping into the sitting room - the plumbers fixed it yesterday.
- The Prestige, laden with 77,000 tons of oil, sprang a leak in November off the northwest Spanish coast and sank six days later after snapping in half.
- The tanker sprang a leak when it hit a floating cargo container, in either Spanish or Portuguese waters.
- The holding tank sprang a leak and there was water pumping in all over the basement.
- Why a two-year-old, double-hulled tanker would suddenly spring a leak has not been explained.
spring a trap
1Cause a trap for catching animals to close suddenly.
- Silverspot springs a trap by dropping rocks on it.
- 1.1Trick someone into doing something.she decided to spring the trap after noticing that her husband was behaving erratically
- I believe she is about to spring a trap.
- He waited until the Nation piece to spring a trap.
- She didn't want to run into anything unexpected, and if the Norak were going to spring a trap, now would be the time.
- Halfway through, he sprang a trap on the Muslim leadership.
Derivatives
springless
- I lie back on the seemingly springless bed and close my eyes gratefully.
- He had to endure a 27-mile ride in a springless wagon over rough roads to a railhead at Guiney Station.
- Chekhov recounts how his horse-driven tarantass, an uncomfortable springless carriage, almost collided with three troikas racing in the opposite direction, drivers asleep at the reins - it was nearly a fatal collision.
- She travelled in a springless baggage cart, a model of which is now proudly displayed in St Thomas' School of Nursing, an establishment she was later to found.
springlet
A small flow of water originating from an underground source.
a draught freshly drawn from the springlet- There is a water springlet near the church and also agricultural terraces for cultivation and a reservoir…
- The lane leading to the springlet was planted with hornbeams.
- She allowed to the last two springlets of tears to leave her eyes.
springlike
- The weather during the holidays was springlike, but presently it has turned sour.
- In March, the desert erupts into a carpet of minuscule wildflowers, and the temperatures are positively springlike.
- It was a bright, almost springlike Saturday afternoon.
- The capital of Asmara, with a population of 400,000, has some broad, palm-lined boulevards and sunny, springlike weather year-round.
- They fished during one of those warm, springlike days we get usually just ahead of a cold front.
adjective
noun ˈsprɪŋlətˈsprɪŋlət
literary adjectiveˈsprɪŋlʌɪkˈsprɪŋˌlaɪk
Origin
Old English spring (noun), springan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German springen. Early use in the senses 'head of a well' and 'rush out in a stream' gave rise to the figurative use 'originate'.
An Old English word that originally referred to the source of a well or stream, the place where a flow of water rises naturally from the earth. People soon started using spring in the context of the first sign or beginning of something—expressions such as ‘the spring of the day’, ‘the spring of the dawn’, and ‘the spring of the year’ were commonly used from around 1380 to 1600. From the middle of the 16th century the last of these expressions became shortened to spring as the name of the first season of the year. Before that this season of new growth had been known as Lent, a word now only used in a religious context to refer to the period of fasting and repentance between Ash Wednesday and Easter, an Old English term of obscure origin. The kind of spring that is a metal coil is also the same word. This meaning was suggested by the verb sense ‘to come out or jump up suddenly’. Someone who is no spring chicken is not as young as they used to be, a phrase recorded from the early years of the 20th century. Spring chickens were birds born in spring and eaten when they were about 10–15 weeks old.
Rhymes
Beijing, bing, bring, Chungking, cling, ding, dingaling, fling, I Ching, king, Kunming, ling, Ming, Nanjing, Peking, ping, ring, sing, Singh, sling, sting, string, swing, Synge, thing, ting, wing, wring, Xining, zing
Definition of spring in US English:
spring
verbspriNGsprɪŋ
1no object, with adverbial of direction Move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward.
I sprang out of bedfigurative they sprang to her defense- The horse just sprung into the air and came backwards right down on her.
- She shook away the questions that had sprung unbidden to her mind and focused on the present.
- Then the leader sprang forward toward me, pointing his gun at me.
- In a instant, the door was open and he sprang into the room.
- Suddenly, the cat sprang from the bed and pushed its way through a small hole in the door.
- I quickly sprung out of bed and into the shower.
- Chloe then sprang out of her bed and went to her closet.
- Jimmy then sprung up, opened the door, and saw his four best buddies.
- He sprung to prominence last season when he scored the winner at Rochdale on his full debut.
- The two men behind her suddenly sprang into action, rushing forward, each one grabbing him under an arm.
- He springs up when he sees me and approaches the car.
- One man is at the head of the boat, and he springs off first as they touch land.
- Even some of his political foes sprang to his defence.
- They hid behind the doorway and listened, preparing to spring out and attack if needed.
- The door suddenly swung open, and they sprang apart.
- Violet suddenly sprang forward and seized her by the arm.
- Before Whitney had a chance to really answer, Jay sprang from her bed.
- Suddenly one of the men sprung forward in an attempt to grab Rachel.
- Courageous motorists sprang to the aid of two elderly women trapped in their car after an accident in North Yorkshire.
- He sprang to national prominence when Armagh qualified for the All-Ireland final of 1977.
leap, jump, bound, vault, hopappear suddenly, appear unexpectedly, materialize- 1.1 Move rapidly or suddenly from a constrained position by or as if by the action of a spring.the drawer sprang open
- A Bradford dad-of-two was blinded when a bungee cord he was using to tie up a deckchair sprang open and hit him in the eye.
- The branches sprang back into their original positions.
- It's raining outside and black umbrellas spring open.
- The doors sprang open and Stella was thankful that she had stepped back.
- He stopped in front of it and touched the cabinet's cold metal exterior with a hand, running it along until he found the three locks, all of which sprang open quickly.
- His eyes sprang open as he remembered what had happened the night before.
- This time the top drawer sprang open, just missing my head.
- The lid sprang open, revealing a small object wrapped in blue silk.
- I was rewarded by a faint click as the lock sprang open.
- He started to drive off, but the boot sprang open.
- The doors to Titan's office sprang open as the last echoes of a gunshot reverberated throughout the room.
- This material is light, wears well and springs back to shape after being bent.
- Sometimes, you can press the pile down with a paint guard or a piece of stiff card, but if it seems likely to spring back and stick to the wet gloss, that is not a good look.
- It's hard enough to entertain youngsters in a room filled with toys, a TV and a video machine, let alone an airport lounge, or a taxi rank where the only stimulation is the odd suitcase springing open.
- Design can be an issue, too, as aluminum stampings are more rigid than steel and prone to springing back to their original shape after being formed.
- Once the impact is over and the panel has sprung back to its original shape, the damage can hardly be seen.
- There was a loud click, and the chest sprang open.
- Before too long one of the doors sprung open and a page asked them to enter.
- It sprang open, and my clothes flew in all directions.
- The holder clips onto your jacket and when you get to a ski lift you simply pull it out to insert the pass into the reader and it springs back into position.
- Within seconds Kailey had the cell door springing open, and she walked inside.
fly back, recoil - 1.2 Operate suddenly by means of a mechanism.no object the engine sprang into life
- Since the recruitment drive sprung into operation last month, a staggering 248 new members have signed up.
- Perhaps I could devise a way to plant a heavy-duty rat trap in my bag, arranged so it would not spring unless someone stuck their hand where it didn't belong.
- She pressed down on a button and the ship shuddered as the main engine sprung to life.
- When the alarm went off, the vibrations had sprung the trap every time.
- When he entered the kitchen, he reported: The trap beside the hole had indeed sprung, but there was no trace of a rat.
- The freighter's engines sprang to life, deafening its only two occupants.
- The White House press machine has sprung into action.
- There was a sudden hiss of water, and the sprinklers lining the path sprang into life.
- He waited until Max had lined up his shot perfectly to spring the trap.
- 1.3with object Cause (a game bird) to rise from cover.
- 1.4informal with object Bring about the escape or release of (a prisoner)the president sought to spring the hostages
- All was right in the Harriet house until the culprits were sprung from jail by their eighteen-year-old son.
- The other is 23 and was recently sprung from prison after serving a couple of sentences for drug/weapons charges.
- His protectors had sprung the 14-year-old Tyson from borstal on the promise of giving him a stable home and schooling.
- Is there a huge problem with renegade owners unlawfully springing their offending dogs from the doggy jail?
- Then he is sprung from prison by close associate Mike Carter so that Bannion can lead a daring racetrack heist.
- When two men spring their wives from prison, it goes so well they decide to make jail-breaking their business.
- He's the guy who sprang you from prison four years ago. Remember?
- We cannot intervene with the police to get British citizens released, nor spring them from jail.
- Chickens, turkeys, pigs, rabbits and ducks are also being sprung from their cages and sent out to pasture.
- His offer of a $100m dollar reward for whoever springs him from custody leads to a daring escape and chase sequence which is one of the film's highlights.
2spring fromno object Originate or arise from.
madness and creativity could spring from the same source- From this dynamic leader's audacious vision has sprung a city that is breathtaking in scale and vision.
- From the set to the characters' odd and affecting mannerisms, the whole enterprise suggested the kind of apparent simplicity and artlessness that only springs from hard work.
- But the inspiration for Faulks' new novel originally sprang from a childhood memory of a ‘peculiar boy’ in the village where he grew up, and the tragic illness of a family friend.
- There are several research questions that spring from the results of this study.
- Clearly, there's a lot of business activity in the inner cities, but only a small fraction of it appears to spring from the people who grew up there.
- From there sprung his interest in that part of Africa.
- But all of this springs from a single principle: that steady, permanent relationships are key to helping children heal and families cope.
- Obsession with grain-growing sprang, of course, from an age-old but well-justified fear of famine.
- And it's surely no coincidence that this most overtly mercenary of musical forms springs from an urban area lying only a few miles from Hollywood where the global entertainment industry is headquartered.
- Sexual identity is rooted in every person's biology before birth and springs from a variation in our individual genome.
- Furthermore, I began to realize just how many problems and troubles spring from this fact.
- It may be that the reconstituted family, composed of former spouses and step relations, is a reality for many today; kindness can spring from the most unexpected sources.
- Auster speaks of ‘…an art that springs from self-denial and spiritual struggle, from the search for one's own limits’.
- Hope, though, does spring from some unexpected corners.
- Beardslee's knowledge and passion for this issue springs from his own quest for answers following his sister's depression and suicide.
- Like it or not, the beauty of mathematics springs from its rigorous austerity.
- It is not fair that Ditko goes so unmentioned, but at least some of that springs from his refusal to speak with reporters, allow himself to be photographed, etc.
originate from, have its origins in, derive from, arise from, stem from, emanate from, proceed from, start from, issue from, evolve from, come from- 2.1 Appear suddenly or unexpectedly from.tears sprang from his eyes
- She hugged me again and new tears sprang from her eyes.
- Where the blazes did he spring from?
- 2.2spring up Suddenly develop or appear.a terrible storm sprang up
- Large commercial developments are starting to spring up in the town.
- She was concerned about the number of industrial buildings that were springing up near the motorway exit close to her home.
- Selling books is big business with branches of Waterstones, Blackwells and Ottakers springing up all over the place.
- Wood processing facilities have sprung up in many areas of the United States in recent years, particularly in areas with high landfill costs.
- For those who want to enjoy the attractions of Durban without being trapped in the city, a number of coastal resorts are springing up.
- Little interesting places to eat are springing up like tulips everywhere on Centre Street North.
- Gale-force winds spring up with little warning, whipping the surface of the lakes into a frenzy of white-capped waves.
- Coffee shops were also springing up in the provincial cities.
- This population boom is reflected in the number of new houses springing up along the little roads leading to and from the village.
- Then, almost unnoticed, a playful breeze sprang up, which turned rather suddenly into something stiffer.
- There will be lambs in the fields soon and bulbs springing up.
- New developments, apartments, balconied villas, shops and restaurants are springing up everywhere.
- Lights were slowly springing up all over the city and the stars began to appear over head.
- Everywhere you turn in Glasgow it seems another new development with an evocative name is springing up.
- New dive operations and resorts have sprung up everywhere.
- A string of high-priced flat developments has sprung up across the centre, and selling agents are reporting huge demand.
- The profile of the penthouse buyer is as diverse as the number of developments that have sprung up in recent years.
- Controversial new masts are springing up across Hampshire as a new high-tech police radio system is set to be launched.
- They hauled the fish on board - this time I was up on the cabin top filming - a somewhat precarious perch as a stiff wind had sprung up and the boat was rocking quite wildly.
- Many theories and approaches to development have sprung up in the past fifty years, including the post-modernism anti-development.
- 2.3spring something onwith object Present or propose something suddenly or unexpectedly to (someone)we decided to spring a surprise on them
- Life has a habit of springing surprises on you, pleasant and unpleasant.
- After our mutual greetings, he sprung something on me that I wasn't expecting.
- I think I might have sprung the idea on him a little too soon.
- The biggest complaint is that the city officials went outside the approval process and sprang this on us as a done deal.
- He chose a November night in 1892 to spring his idea on the Intelligentsia of Paris with a speech at the Sorbornne.
- Usually it was Al who enjoyed springing outrageous surprises on his more staid partner.
- Whenever something bad happens or is just sprung upon you, you always try to see that positive silver lining lurking beneath the surface somewhere.
- The trust's decision to close Sandra House was sprung on the residents without consultation, and with no real attempt to explain the reasoning that led to it.
- He said: ‘The Home Secretary was wrong to spring his decision on the police authority, and they are within their rights to take the final decision.’
- Lal continues to spring surprises on audiences.
- Anyway, I hope your first day back at University, school, or even a college of Further Education is not too hard, and your lecturer/teacher doesn't spring a surprise test on you.
- Now, you just forget we've had this conversation and make sure you behave in a suitably astonished manner when she finally springs her little surprise on you.
- People are clearly worried and figure, ‘They are just waiting until the election is over to spring the bad news on us.’
- Do you think she's angry with me for springing the wedding on her the way I did?
- Latham is at his best when he springs surprises on the Government.
- How very unlike you, Eaton, to spring this surprise upon your family!
- You've just sprung this on me and you expect me to react well?
- You just can't spring these things on someone, I need earlier notice!
- But he is wary of an announcement being sprung on him.
- I feel a little guilty for springing the whole problem on her without warning.
announce suddenly, announce unexpectedly, present suddenly, present unexpectedly, introduce suddenly, introduce unexpectedly, reveal suddenly, reveal unexpectedly
3usually as adjective sprungwith object Cushion or fit (a vehicle or item of furniture) with springs.
a fully sprung mattress- Also, the NSX felt skittish at high speed along poor surfaces, but that's not unusual for such a firmly sprung car.
- This is a softly sprung car, which makes it roll at the slightest hint of a corner.
- In smaller towns, theaters may not have sprung floors or the manpower to cater to dancers' requests.
- Combined with sundeck, swimming pool and sprung sitting room flooring for dancing, these touches might have pushed opulence towards showiness.
- The development will see the coach house turned into an education room with a lightly sprung floor for the provision of performance arts.
- Mechanically, we spring the cars softly to maximise the grip available to the drivers but also to cope with the bumps and cambers.
- The drawing room includes a sprung German oak floor, as well as wood-panelled walls and an eye-catching fireplace in white marble.
- The ballroom floor was sprung but at times I feared for our lives.
- In terms of car set-up, we try to spring the cars quite stiffly in order to get a responsive change of direction through the chicanes.
- Last night I actually dropped him on a nice sprung wood floor during a dance rehearsal.
- The building also boasts one of the first sprung dance floors with a balcony, dining room with chandeliers and stained glass windows.
- He introduced ambulances volantes, light, two-wheeled, sprung vehicles, drawn by two horses, for the rapid evacuation of the wounded.
4no object (especially of wood) become warped or split.
- 4.1with object (of a boat) suffer splitting of (a mast or other part).
- 4.1with object (of a boat) suffer splitting of (a mast or other part).
5spring forNorth American informal no object Pay for, especially as a treat for someone else.
he's never offered to spring for dinner- Let's hope that for the next print run - and there will be a next - the publisher springs for a more sophisticated image.
- Speaking of space, if you can, spring for a cabin with a balcony.
- But recently while shopping at BestBuy, I purchased a washer and dryer and actually sprang for their extra warranty.
- After that, I started springing for cabs whenever I was in Brooklyn.
- You do have to spring for admission to the Science Center - $10 for adults and $7 for kids - but remember the popular Seattle attraction is air conditioned.
- Look, vacations are expensive - so the parents might not be able to spring for arena tickets.
- He's playing Atlanta tonight, and I was wondering if it'd be worth springing for the tickets.
- Besides, it's your folks' fault for not springing for voicemail.
- You share sunscreen, swap flip-flops and take turns springing for sno-cones.
- Of course, on the upside, we bridesmaids get to wear our own outfits and she's springing for Manolos for everyone.
- The first time I ever sprang for the hardcover price of a book because I couldn't wait until it came out in paper, it was for a book by Germaine Greer.
- If you don't want to spring for the whole house (bidding starts at $150,000), you can bid on a piece of plaster or wood from the place.
- He's a billionaire, but he can't spring for a 37-cent stamp?
- Next time I'm in Vegas, I'm going to spring for a $200 seat up nice and close.
- We also got a bottle of Mustela baby skin freshener as a gift, and while I doubt I'd spring for this stuff myself, it does smell quite nice.
- When I was a lad a baseball cap was a baseball cap, even if you weren't springing for the top-of-the-line officially-licensed fitted variety.
- We sprung for expensive couchette seats, and ended up with our own little cabin on the boat.
- She drives the men to Village Inn each week to study and even springs for their beverages, convinced that ‘a different environment will give them the boost they need.’
- If you can afford it, spring for the Deluxe Edition.
- Few parents are willing to spring for a $250 PSP, especially when Junior already has a PlayStation 2 at home.
- 5.1archaic with object Spend (money)he might spring a few pennies more
- I'd rather spring an extra dollar for one of her foil-wrapped, stuffed baked potatoes (that's real bacon in there) than content myself with institutional fries.
pay out, lay out, expend, disburse
nounspriNGsprɪŋ
1The season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November.
in spring the garden is a feast of blossomas modifier spring rainfigurative he was in the spring of his years- The spring breeze blew gently through her hair as she entered the park.
- When the bulbs come up in the spring and start blooming, you should clip off the blooms as they start to wither.
- The club need to carry out renovations in the spring to ensure the building is fit for use throughout next season.
- These weeds often increase with wet springs after years where pastures were over grazed.
- Koji and I were married in the spring, a year later.
- Early spring is the best time of year to change your garden design.
- Some species provide beautiful displays of color for short periods in the spring or fall.
- You don't want to plant your seeds out in the spring until the danger of frost has past.
- Although the spring migration has barely begun, tens of thousands of geese and huge flocks of ducks are already here.
- It was a short walk, and in the spring and summer months quite enjoyable.
- Schoolchildren from York are looking forward to spring so they can see the results of their gardening efforts.
- If you're anything like me, you'll be longing for the winter to come to an end and looking forward to getting outside and enjoying the spring.
- My husband and I want to travel to Europe next spring.
- The peak breeding season is in late spring and early summer, although some breeding takes place throughout the year.
- More than 5000 people enjoyed the warm spring sunshine during the festival's most action-packed day.
- The inland region has a continental climate with very cold winters, hot, humid summers, and spring and autumn seasons that are often rainy.
- There should be a referendum in the spring or autumn of next year.
- In spring, it bears masses of pale pink, vanilla-scented blooms.
- Every spring, about 100 pairs nest here along with great blue herons and snowy egrets.
- Planting potted roses is relatively easy, as long as you do your planting in the spring after any chance of a frost is long past.
- This last week or so, with the sun shining for much of the time and a strong hint of spring in the air, a lot of people will have been spending time outdoors.
springtime, eastertide- 1.1Astronomy The period from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice.
- 1.2short for spring tide
- All the wreckage is in shallow water, less than 7 or 8m even at high tide - in fact it can be too shallow to dive at low-water springs.
- The archipelago has a fourteen-foot tidal difference during spring and neap so the surroundings are ever changing, revealing its secrets.
- Gordon explained that the ideal tide for the Seven Stones was a low-water spring, with a good hour of slack water and the rocks exposed.
- Wrasse feed on the neap tides and on the springs.
- At springs, the slack lasts 40 minutes and at neaps 90 minutes.
- This historic old dock, which only floods at very high springs, was used in olden days by fishermen of the local herring fleet for repairs and for drying of the nets.
- The slip next to the Teign Diving Centre is usable at all states of the tide except very low springs.
2A resilient device, typically a helical metal coil, that can be pressed or pulled but returns to its former shape when released, used chiefly to exert constant tension or absorb movement.
- He jumped into the air as if a spring propelled him from the ground.
- This apparatus is fitted with ropes and pulleys that are attached to taut springs to create tension.
- Oil helps cool the valve springs and extend their useful life.
- The bottom of the boxes were cushioned with springs to prevent sudden jolts harming the animals.
- In its heyday in the 1960s, Tempered Spring employed more than 1,000 people making springs for cars, the agricultural industry, the railways and office equipment.
- By loosening a jack bolt or hydraulically dropping the springs with a switch in the car, the team can get the car closer to the ground.
- Peter Burr is a director and shareholder of Irvine Spring Company, an Ayrshire-based business which manufactures wire shapes and springs for major electronics companies.
- Fred Tedesco's company, Pa-Ted, makes springs and small mechanical assemblies for larger companies.
- The bed springs twanged and the wooden floor boards responded with a creak.
- Michael sat on Kay's bed, the springs squeaking as his weight hit the mattress.
- In this new upholstery, the same interlaced webbing was still used, but it supported a group of springs rather than horsehair.
- Moving, loosening or adjusting door springs must be done by a garage door serviceperson.
- The tension on the spring can be adjusted using a wing nut so it can grip the line tightly or loosely, whatever the fishing situation demands.
- The kitchen door was on one of those springs to prevent it slamming shut, as a result of which it was well nigh impossible to close it with any kind of speed.
- Look also for a shock-absorbing shoe - one with springs or coils or spongy material under the heel.
- Rossiter watched him, as lithe and graceful as ever, his slim form like a coiled spring and ready to explode with energy at any moment.
- This simple action is controlled by a complex mass of gears, switches and springs, like you might find inside a watch.
- Compress the spring on the exhaust valve and measure the movement required for the valve to contact the piston.
- We buy the springs for the mattresses but do the rest of the work ourselves.
- Some cutting pliers are set with a spring in the handle that makes it easier and more comfortable to use.
- 2.1 The ability to spring back strongly; elasticity.the mattress has lost its spring
- His size is a great advantage but he also has spring and ability - in fact he has every attribute to be a top line goalkeeper.
- Groaning, I attempted to sit up as I felt the sharp jabbing a of a bed coil that had long lost its spring shove its way into my side.
- Generally, the more twist in the carpet yarns, the more spring, which hides footprints.
springiness, bounciness, bounce, resilience, elasticity, flexibility, stretch, stretchiness, give
3in singular A sudden jump upward or forward.
with a sudden spring, he leapt onto the table- He rounded the upcoming corner as only he could; a jump and flip, then a spring off the wall of an adjacent building.
- The new year, however, will put a spring in their step.
- With a spring, he jumped out of the alleyway and hoofed it back to his apartment.
leap, jump, bound, vault, hop- 3.1dated, informal An escape or release from prison.
4A place where water or oil wells up from an underground source, or the basin or flow formed in such a way.
as modifier spring water- Shallow springs and poorly constructed wells also are vulnerable to protozoa infection.
- I paddle about, listening to the faint plop plop of the burbling springs.
- An underground spring supplied water that fell into the basin from a small opening in the tunnel's side, creating an artificial waterfall.
- She said builders renovating houses often cut channels into underground springs, resulting in Cotswold stone-coloured silt getting into the watercourse.
- The results of the water test showed that pollution was surprisingly minimal, and that there was no sign of sea water leaking into the spring.
- The water, which overflows from our three natural springs, cascades onto the clover lawn, creating an oasis.
- The only source of water was a spring below a steep bank some thirty yards from the house.
- On its fertile plateau two springs gave crystal-clear water.
- With their geothermal underground springs, Icelanders heat their water for next to nothing.
- A remote Dales village which has never been connected to a mains water supply has been linked up to a moorland spring.
- For good hiking, visit Rincón de la Vieja, which boasts many trails leading to waterfalls, warm springs, and swimming holes.
- The hamlet is home to about 30 people who take their drinking water from a spring high on the moors above the valley - a source used for centuries.
- Vichy is known for its hot mineral springs that have been frequented since Roman times.
- But the scheme has incurred the wrath of the Environment Agency because of its potential effect on domestic water supplies from springs in the area.
- With the population surge, the springs were diverted to municipal uses and the streams dried up leaving once irrigated orchards as parched lands.
- Valerie heard sounds of the forest, the chirping of birds and the tinkling of water from a nearby spring.
- Numerous streams running from springs on the wolds down towards the River Hull have helped shape Beverley's streets.
- I couldn't really see, but I think there was a waterfall at the spring.
- Hot waterfalls cascade from its walls; steam rises from its springs.
well head- 4.1 The origin or a source of something.the place was a spring of musical talent
- The immediate aftermath of the war was marked by a nostalgic return by many artists to the springs of Mediterranean culture.
- It becomes impossible to see the springs of the play's action in terms of mere idiosyncratic personal grudges or teenage angst.
origin, source, fountainhead, root, roots, basis
5An upward curvature of a ship's deck planking from the horizontal.
- 5.1 A split in a wooden plank or spar under strain.
- 5.1 A split in a wooden plank or spar under strain.
Phrases
spring a leak
(of a boat or container) develop a leak.
- After springing a leak below the water line early yesterday morning, skipper Andrew Tozer and the crew of La Bamba were taken aboard the 41-foot catamaran Island Fling.
- Second, there was no way to predict, nor any reason to expect, the other hydraulic system would spring a leak.
- The tanker sprang a leak when it hit a floating cargo container, in either Spanish or Portuguese waters.
- Just a few miles off the north-west of Menorca, the 500 ton coaster Francisquita sprang a leak and foundered in December 1952.
- The Prestige, laden with 77,000 tons of oil, sprang a leak in November off the northwest Spanish coast and sank six days later after snapping in half.
- Half way across the inlet, in the black silence of the night we discovered that the boat had sprung a leak.
- Why a two-year-old, double-hulled tanker would suddenly spring a leak has not been explained.
- Simultaneously, the hot water tank decided to spring a leak, and water was dripping into the sitting room - the plumbers fixed it yesterday.
- One of the 12 small jet engines sprang a leak, and others aren't providing the thrust they should be.
- The holding tank sprang a leak and there was water pumping in all over the basement.
spring a trap
1Cause a trap for catching animals to close suddenly.
- Silverspot springs a trap by dropping rocks on it.
- 1.1Trick someone into doing something.she decided to spring the trap after noticing that her husband was behaving erratically
- He waited until the Nation piece to spring a trap.
- Halfway through, he sprang a trap on the Muslim leadership.
- I believe she is about to spring a trap.
- She didn't want to run into anything unexpected, and if the Norak were going to spring a trap, now would be the time.
Origin
Old English spring (noun), springan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German springen. Early use in the senses ‘head of a well’ and ‘rush out in a stream’ gave rise to the figurative use ‘originate’.