|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
spur
spur
/ spər/
•
n.
1.
a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider's heel and used for urging a horse forward.
∎ fig.
a thing that prompts or encourages someone; an incentive:
profit was both the spur and the reward of enterprise.
∎
a hard spike on the back of the leg of a cock or male game bird, used in fighting.
∎
a steel point fastened to the leg of a gamecock.
∎
a climbing iron.
2.
a thing that projects or branches off from a main body, in particular:
∎
a projection from a mountain or mountain range.
∎
a short branch road or rail line.
∎
Bot.
a slender tubular projection from the base of a flower, e.g., a honeysuckle or orchid, typically containing nectar.
∎
a short fruit-bearing side shoot.
•
v.
(spurred
, spur·ring
) [tr.]
urge (a horse) forward by digging one's spurs into its sides:
she spurred her horse toward the hedge.
∎
give an incentive or encouragement to (someone):
her sons' passion for computer games spurred her on to set up a software store.
∎
cause or promote the development of; stimulate:
governments cut interest rates to spur demand.
PHRASES:
on the spur of the moment
on a momentary impulse; without premeditation.DERIVATIVES:
spur·less
adj.
spurred
adj.
spur |
|
|
Cite this article
"spur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-spur.html "spur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-spur.html |
|
Spur
Spur. A group of German artists active in Munich from 1958 to 1966. The founders of the group were the painters Heimrad Prem (1934–79), Helmut Sturm (1932– ), and Hans-Peter Zimmer (1936– ), and the sculptor Lothar Fischer (1933– ). The name ‘Spur’ (German for ‘track') was adopted in 1958 when they happened to be thinking about footprints they had made in the snow. Their work was semi-abstract, but they advocated art that was socially motivated and were influenced by the vivid portrayal of suffering that is often seen in late medieval German art. Another important influence was Asger Jorn, who encouraged them and helped them to exhibit their work. From 1959 to 1962 they were part of the Situationist movement, and their journal Spur (7 issues, 1960–1) was one of the leading Situationist publications. In 1962, however, they were expelled by the movement. In 1965 Spur began collaborating with another German group, Wir (We); in 1966 they joined forces to become the Geflecht (Network) group, but this dissolved the following year because of differences of opinion.
|
|
|
Cite this article
IAN CHILVERS. "Spur." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "Spur." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-Spur.html IAN CHILVERS. "Spur." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-Spur.html |
|
spur
spur.
1. Short horizontal timber, one end fixed to a cruck blade about a third of the height of the blade, and the other fixed to a cruck-stud, to carry the wall-plate. 2. Short diagonal strut. 3. Strengthening pier or sloping buttress. 4. Ornamental timber bracket by the sides of doors to support a projecting upper floor (e.g. C14 examples in York). 5. Salient outwork of a fortress. 6. Prowshaped bridge-pier, or cut-water. 7. Carved claw, leaf, or griffe on the corners of a square plinth under a medieval pier. 8. Spere. |
|
|
Cite this article
JAMES STEVENS CURL. "spur." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "spur." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-spur.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "spur." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-spur.html |
|
spur
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "spur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "spur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-spur.html T. F. HOAD. "spur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-spur.html |
|
spur
spur A ridge that descends towards a valley floor from the higher ground above. It may be due to an outcrop of resistant rock, or it may develop on the concave side of a winding stream as a result of incision.
|
|
|
Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-spur.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-spur.html |
|
spur
spur A ridge that descends towards a valley floor from the higher ground above. It may be due to an outcrop of resistant rock, or it may develop on the concave side of a winding stream as a result of incision.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-spur.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-spur.html |
|
spur
spur
1. A short side branch that bears flowers and fruits . 2. In conifers, a shoot that bears leaves . 3. A tubular projection from a flower. |
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-spur.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "spur." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-spur.html |
|
spur
spur n. a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider's heel and used for urging a horse forward.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"spur." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spur." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-spur.html "spur." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-spur.html |
|
spur
spur (sper) n. a sharp projection, especially one of bone.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"spur." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spur." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-spur.html "spur." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-spur.html |
|
spur
spur
•à deux, agent provocateur, astir, auteur, aver, bestir, blur, bon viveur, burr, Chandigarh, coiffeur, concur, confer, connoisseur, cordon-bleu, cri de cœur, cur, danseur, Darfur, defer, demur, de rigueur, deter, entrepreneur, er, err, farceur, faute de mieux, fir, flâneur, Fleur, force majeure, fur, hauteur, her, infer, inter, jongleur, Kerr, littérateur, longueur, masseur, Monseigneur, monsieur, Montesquieu, Montreux, murre, myrrh, occur, pas de deux, Pasteur, per, pisteur, poseur, pot-au-feu, prefer, prie-dieu, pudeur, purr, raconteur, rapporteur, refer, répétiteur, restaurateur, saboteur, sabreur, seigneur, Sher, shirr, sir, skirr, slur, souteneur, spur, stir, tant mieux, transfer, Ur, vieux jeu, voyageur, voyeur, were, whirr
|
|
|
Cite this article
"spur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "spur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-spur.html "spur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-spur.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
