spark
/ˈspɑɹk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.99 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire, resulting from an electrical surge or excessive heat created by friction.
noun
A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
noun
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.
noun
Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the Indomalayan genus Sinthusa.
noun
A ship's radio operator.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
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”)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈspɑɹk/
- British English: /ˈspɑːk/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
Synonyms
Homonyms
SPARC