verb Uncommon

spawn

Spawn (verb) means of fish, frogs, or other aquatic creatures, to lay eggs in water. Example: “Salmon swim upstream to spawn.”

verb

Of fish, frogs, or other aquatic creatures, to lay eggs in water.

"Salmon swim upstream to spawn."

To bring about or give rise to something, often in large numbers.

"The film spawned a dozen imitators."

"The rumor spawned all sorts of wild theories."

In video games, to appear (or cause a character or object to appear) at a set point in the game world.

"Players respawn at the last checkpoint after dying."

noun

The eggs of a fish or amphibian.

"The pond was thick with frog spawn in spring."

How to use spawn

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo lay eggs (for fish and similar animals), or more broadly, to give rise to something, especially something that multiplies.

Common pairings

fish spawn spawn imitators spawn point

Word forms

spawned past tense, spawn plural, spawns plural, spawns singular

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Salmon swim upstream to _____.

Etymology

Traced to Anglo-Norman espaundre, ultimately from Latin expandere, "to spread out" — the same root behind "expand."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for spawn

pawn dawn fawn lawn drawn prawn brawn

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Frequently asked questions

What does “spawn” mean?

The word “spawn” means of fish, frogs, or other aquatic creatures, to lay eggs in water. In plain terms, to lay eggs (for fish and similar animals), or more broadly, to give rise to something, especially something that multiplies.

How do you pronounce “spawn”?

“Spawn” is pronounced spawn (/spɔn/ in IPA).

How do you use “spawn” in a sentence?

Here is “spawn” used in a sentence: “Salmon swim upstream to spawn.”

What part of speech is “spawn”?

Depending on how it is used, “spawn” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “spawn” come from?

The word “spawn” comes from Latin. Traced to Anglo-Norman espaundre, ultimately from Latin expandere, "to spread out" — the same root behind "expand.".

Is “spawn” a common word?

“Spawn” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “spawn” have?

“Spawn” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: of fish, frogs, or other aquatic creatures, to lay eggs in water.