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spurt

spurted; spurts; spurting

Things that spurt gush, stream, or flow rapidly. If you laugh too hard while drinking a Coke, soda might spurt out of your nose. Ouch!

Spurt is also a noun: "A spurt of water erupted from the hole in the water balloon before she had a chance to throw it." Though a jet of liquid is usually what spurts, the word is also used for quick bursts of speed, like a race car that spurts forward suddenly, winning at the last second. The origin of spurt isn't certain, but it may be related to the German spürzen, "to spit" and sprützen, "to squirt."

Definitions of spurt
  1. verb
    gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
    synonyms: gush, spirt, spout
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    types:
    pump
    flow intermittently
    blow
    spout moist air from the blowhole
    whoosh
    gush or squirt out
    type of:
    pour
    flow in a spurt
  2. verb
    move or act with a sudden increase in speed or energy
    synonyms: forge, spirt
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    type of:
    go, locomote, move, travel
    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
  3. noun
    the occurrence of a sudden discharge (as of liquid)
    synonyms: jet, spirt, squirt
    see moresee less
    types:
    spray
    a jet of vapor
    spritz
    a quick squirt of some liquid (usually carbonated water)
    type of:
    discharge, outpouring, run
    the pouring forth of a fluid
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘spurt'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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