spark
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: cellular-automata
computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *sparkō
Old English spearca
Middle English sparke
English spark
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”)).
Inflected forms:
form: sparks
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: sparks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: sparking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: sparked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: sparked
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire, resulting from an electrical surge or excessive heat created by friction.
pos: noun
gloss: A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
pos: noun
gloss: A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
pos: noun
gloss: A small amount of something, such as an idea or romantic affection, that has the potential to become something greater, just as a spark can start a fire.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
examples: if any spark of life be yet remaining
, Book IV, Chapter XVII
But though we have, here and there, a little of this clear light, some sparks of bright knowledge
When the latter disk showed some sparks, Moman contacted MGM's Jim Vienneau, who picked up the waxing for national release.
Everton's Marouane Fellaini looks one certain arrival but Moyes, who also saw United held to a draw by Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday, needs even more of a spark in a midfield that looked laboured by this team's standards.
gloss: Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the Indomalayan genus Sinthusa.
pos: noun
gloss: A ship's radio operator.
pos: noun
gloss: An electrician.
pos: noun
tags: UK
slang
examples: At the other extreme, with limitless budgets all they have to do is dream up amazing lighting rigs to be constructed and operated by the huge team of gaffers and sparks, with their generators, discharge lights, flags, gobos and brutes.
gloss: A small collection of cells which briefly appears at the edge of a larger pattern before dying off.
pos: noun
gloss: A diamond, especially one set in a piece of jewellery.
pos: noun
tags: in-plural
obsolete
gloss: To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: The introduction of substitute Andy Carroll sparked Liverpool into life and he pulled a goal back just after the hour - and thought he had equalised as Kenny Dalglish's side laid siege to Chelsea's goal in the closing stages.
One such investigation described how kindness can be contagious. It was sparked by reports of an outbreak of kindness on a cold December morning in 2012.
gloss: To light; to kindle.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Byron sparked the cigarette. He sucked it dramatically and thrust it into Marko's hand.
gloss: To give off a spark or sparks.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To shoot; to fire
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: [Streetlife]:Fuck a peace talk, let the gun spark, on the streets of New York.
All of a sudden, everybody tuggin', everybody dark. Everybody gums runnin', 'til the guns spark.
Guns spark in the dark, it was all just a part of the eighties Bronx scene that created all.
Derived words: antispark
belly spark
bright spark
jump spark
macrospark
microspark
nanospark
ocular spark
spark anglemouth
spark arrester
spark arrestor
spark bird
spark coil
sparkful
spark gap
sparkie
spark knock
sparkler
sparkless
sparklike
sparkline
spark of life
spark out
sparkover
spark plug
sparkproof
sparks fly
spark spread
sparktastic
spark test
spark testing
spark transmitter
sparky
spunk
vital spark
sparkle
spark up
respark
sparkable
spark off
Translations: