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Word a Day

spur

verb · /spɝ/ · Level 2 · Intermediate

What does spur mean?

spur (verb): to urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object.

Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How do you pronounce spur?

/spɝ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does spur come from?

From Middle English spure, spore, from Old English spora, spura, from Proto-West Germanic *spurō, from Proto-Germanic *spurô, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick”).

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Words related to spur

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “spur”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “spur” mean?

to urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object

Right! That's what “spur” means.

to be concerned (about), to have an interest (in); to feel concern (about)

Not quite: that's what care means.

to feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern

Not quite: that's what bother means.

to inhabit or to visit frequently (most often used in reference to ghosts)

Not quite: that's what haunt means.

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