Link Centre Dictionary

spark

UK/ˈspɑːk/ US/ˈspɑːk/ fairly common slang uk
noun (6) verb (2)

noun

1.
2.

brightness and animation of countenance

  • “he had a sparkle in his eye”
Synonyms
3.
4.

a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might become stronger

  • “a spark of interest”
  • “a spark of decency”
5.
6.

a small fragment of a burning substance thrown out by burning material or by friction

verb

1.

put in motion or move to act

  • “trigger a reaction”
  • “actuate the circuits”
Synonyms
2.

emit or produce sparks

  • “A high tension wire, brought down by a storm, can continue to spark”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English sparke, sperke, from Old English spearca, from Proto-West Germanic *sparkō (compare Saterland Frisian Spoorke, West Frisian spark, Dutch spark, German Low German Sparke, German Sparke), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *sparkaz (“lively, energetic”), from Proto-Indo-European *sperg- (“to strew, sprinkle”) (compare Breton erc’h (“snow”), Latin spargō (“to scatter, spread”), sparsus (“scattered”), Lithuanian sprógti (“to germinate”), Ancient Greek σπαργάω (spargáō, “to swell”), Avestan 𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬭𐬈𐬔𐬀 (frasparega, “branch, twig”), Sanskrit पर्जन्य (parjanya, “rain, rain god”)).

Phrases

  • belly spark
  • bright spark
  • jump spark
  • ocular spark
  • spark anglemouth
  • spark arrester
  • spark arrestor
  • spark bird
  • spark off
  • spark up

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Causes

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.