spurt

1 of 4

verb (1)

spurted; spurting; spurts

intransitive verb

: to gush forth : spout

transitive verb

: to expel in a stream or jet : squirt
the faucet spurts water

spurt

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a sudden gush : jet

spurt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a short period of time : moment
2
a
: a sudden brief burst of effort, activity, or development
a spurt of work
a growth spurt
b
: a sharp or sudden increase in business activity

spurt

4 of 4

verb (2)

spurted; spurting; spurts

intransitive verb

: to make a spurt

Examples of spurt in a Sentence

Verb (1) water spurted from the garden hose just as I was checking the nozzle the pipe suddenly cracked and began spurting water Noun (2) a spurt of economic growth for the first quarter of the year a sudden spurt of blood rushed out from the opened wound
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The beauty of this device is its hard-working design, which disperses any essential oil of your choosing through the air while spurting a continuous mist of moisturizing vapor in the air. Sarah Madaus, Allure, 13 Jan. 2025 Third quarter spurt, but Sixers respond The Kings moved to a zone defense early in the third quarter that seemed to flummox Philadelphia. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2025
Noun
His next shot was good, too, from deep, stopping a 4-0 spurt from St. John’s guards Luis and Richmond. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025 Bernstein also pointed out that the cumulative rise in prices during the inflation spurt was similar across advanced countries, even though their spending policies diverged widely. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for spurt 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

perhaps akin to Middle High German spürzen to spit, Old English -sprūtan to sprout — more at sprout

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1570, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1644, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spurt was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near spurt

Cite this Entry

“Spurt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spurt. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

spurt

1 of 4 verb
1
: to pour out suddenly : spout
2

spurt

2 of 4 noun
: a sudden pouring out : jet

spurt

3 of 4 noun
1
: a short period of time : moment
2
: a brief burst of effort, activity, or development
a spurt of work
a growth spurt

spurt

4 of 4 verb
: to make a spurt

More from Merriam-Webster on spurt

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