sprent

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /spɹɛnt/
  • 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

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

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

Anagrams

Middle English

Verb

sprent

  1. alternative form of sprenten