name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
spark
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈspɑːk/
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Received-Pronunciation: [ˈspɑːk]
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General-American: /ˈspɑɹk/
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General-American: [ˈspɑɹk]
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)k
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homophone: SPARC
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CMU ARPABET: S P AA1 R K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire, resulting from an electrical surge or excessive heat created by friction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cinder, ember, gnast, funk
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scintilla, scintillation, sparklet, glint, twink
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- , Book IV, Chapter XVII But though we have, here and there, a little of this clear light, some sparks of bright knowledge
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: beginning, germ, glimmer, scintilla, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, bit, crumb, glimpse, dab, damn, dash, diddly, glint, dot, spatter, drop, dusting, fleck, hint, flip, flyspeck, grain, halfpennyworth, inch, iota, jot, lick, mite, modicum, molecule, morceau, morsel, mote, ooch, ounce, particle, pennyworth, piece, pinch, relish, scantling, semblance, scent, scooch, scrap, scruple, shred, skerrick, skoosh, skosh, sliver, smattering, smidge, smidgen, smidget, smidgy, smitch, smithereen, soupçon, spark, speck, speckle, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, tad, tidbit, tidge, tinge, tittle, toddick, touch, trace, trifle, tuppence worth, vestige, whiff, whit
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the Indomalayan genus Sinthusa.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A ship's radio operator.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: in the plural sparks but treated as a singular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
An electrician.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: juicer, sparky
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
A small collection of cells which briefly appears at the edge of a larger pattern before dying off.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: cellular-automata, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A diamond, especially one set in a piece of jewellery.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural, obsolete
Qualifier: thieves' cant
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A gallant; a foppish young man.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blade, masher, barbermonger, beau, blood, buck, carpet knight, cockscomb, dandy, dike, dood, dude, dudelet, exquisite, fashionable, fast man, fine gentleman, fop, foretop, fribble, gallant, go, jack-a-dandy, Jemmy-Jessamy, jetter, macaroni, metrosexual, mignon, petit maître, popinjay, pretty boy, prig, puss-gentleman, smart, spark, spiff, swell, tippy, toff
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A beau, lover.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: suitor, swain, admirer, adorer, baby, beloved, courter, crush, darling, enamorado, flame, follower, leman, loteby, love, love interest, lover, paramour, sparker, sweetheart, truelove, wooer
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To light; to kindle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To give off a spark or sparks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scintillate
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To shoot; to fire
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 17
To woo, court; to act the gallant or beau.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: make love, romance, solicit, address, beau, bedear, chase after, court, endear, make a move (on), pitch woo, put the moves on, spark, woo
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 18
merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he had a sparkle in his eye
- there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sparkle, twinkle, light
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: vitality, verve, expression, look, aspect, facial expression, face
noun
Meaning 19
a momentary flash of light
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: flicker, glint
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: flash
noun
Meaning 20
a small fragment of a burning substance thrown out by burning material or by friction
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fragment
noun
Meaning 21
Scottish writer of satirical novels (born in 1918)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Muriel Spark, Dame Muriel Spark, Muriel Sarah Spark
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: writer, author
noun
Meaning 22
electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: discharge, arc, electric arc, electric discharge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: electrical conduction
Narrower terms: brush discharge, corona discharge, corona, corposant, St. Elmo's fire, Saint Elmo's fire, Saint Elmo's light, Saint Ulmo's fire, Saint Ulmo's light, electric glow, flashover
noun
Meaning 23
a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might become stronger
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a spark of interest
- a spark of decency
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: trace, hint, suggestion
verb
Meaning 24
put in motion or move to act
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- trigger a reaction
- actuate the circuits
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: trip, actuate, trigger, activate, set off, spark off, trigger off, touch off
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: initiate, pioneer
verb
Meaning 25
emit or produce sparks
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- A high tension wire, brought down by a storm, can continue to spark
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sparkle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: emit, give out, give off
History
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”)).
Probably Scandinavian, akin to Old Norse sparkr (“sprightly”).
Across languages
Translations
235 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: vonk — particle of glowing matter
- Albanian: xixë — particle of glowing matter
- Albanian: shtiaz — particle of glowing matter
- Albanian: shkëndijë — particle of glowing matter
- Arabic: شَرَارَة (šarāra) — particle of glowing matter
- Arabic: شرارة (šarāra) — particle of glowing matter
- Armenian: կայծ (kayc) — particle of glowing matter
- Old Armenian: կայծ (kayc) — particle of glowing matter
- Old Armenian: կայծակն (kaycakn) — particle of glowing matter
- Aromanian: scãntealji — particle of glowing matter
- Aromanian: scãntealje — particle of glowing matter
- Assamese: ফিৰিঙটি (phiriṅoti) — particle of glowing matter
- Azerbaijani: qığılcım — particle of glowing matter
- Basque: txinparta — particle of glowing matter
- Belarusian: і́скра (ískra) — particle of glowing matter
- Bengali: স্ফুলিঙ্গ (sphuliṅgo) — particle of glowing matter
- Bhojpuri: चिंगारी (ciṅgārī) — particle of glowing matter
- Bulgarian: искра́ (iskrá) — particle of glowing matter
- Burmese: မီးပွား (mi:pwa:) — particle of glowing matter
- Catalan: espurna — particle of glowing matter
- Catalan: guspira — particle of glowing matter
- Chinese Mandarin: 火花 (huǒhuā) — particle of glowing matter
- Czech: jiskra — particle of glowing matter
- Danish: gnist — particle of glowing matter
- Dutch: vonk — particle of glowing matter
- Dutch: sprank — particle of glowing matter
- Dutch: vuursprank — particle of glowing matter
- Esperanto: fajrero — particle of glowing matter
- Estonian: säde — particle of glowing matter
- Faroese: neisti — particle of glowing matter
- Finnish: kipinä — particle of glowing matter
- French: étincelle — particle of glowing matter
- French: flammèche — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: faísca — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: muxica — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: moxena — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: fírgoa — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: famelga — particle of glowing matter
- Galician: funisca — particle of glowing matter
- Georgian: ნაპერწკალი (naṗerc̣ḳali) — particle of glowing matter
- German: Funke — particle of glowing matter
- Greek: σπινθήρας (spinthíras) — particle of glowing matter
- Ancient Greek: σπινθήρ (spinthḗr) — particle of glowing matter
- Hebrew: נִיצוֹץ (nitzótz) — particle of glowing matter
- Hebrew: גֵּץ (getz) — particle of glowing matter
- Hebrew: זִיק (ziq) — particle of glowing matter
- Hindi: चिंगारी (ciṅgārī) — particle of glowing matter
- Hungarian: szikra — particle of glowing matter
- Icelandic: neisti — particle of glowing matter
- Ido: cintilo — particle of glowing matter
- Irish: drithle — particle of glowing matter
- Irish: spréach — particle of glowing matter
- Irish: splanc — particle of glowing matter
- Italian: scintilla — particle of glowing matter
- Japanese: 火花 (hibana) — particle of glowing matter
- Japanese: 火の粉 (hi no ko) — particle of glowing matter
- Kazakh: ұшқын (ūşqyn) — particle of glowing matter
- Khmer: ផ្កាភ្លើង (pkaa pləəŋ) — particle of glowing matter
- Khmer: កំទេចភ្លើង (kɑmtɨc pləəŋ) — particle of glowing matter
- Korean: 불꽃 (bulkkot) — particle of glowing matter
- Central Kurdish: پِرشِنگ (pirşing) — particle of glowing matter
- Kyrgyz: учкун (uckun) — particle of glowing matter
- Lao: ປະກາຍ (pa kāi) — particle of glowing matter
- Lao: ລູກໄຟ (lūk fai) — particle of glowing matter
- Latgalian: dzierksts — particle of glowing matter
- Latgalian: spierksts — particle of glowing matter
- Latin: scintilla — particle of glowing matter
- Latvian: dzirkstele — particle of glowing matter
- Linngithigh: mwi — particle of glowing matter
- Lithuanian: kibirkštis — particle of glowing matter
- Luba-Kasai: lusase — particle of glowing matter
- Luba-Katanga: lusase — particle of glowing matter
- Luxembourgish: Fonk — particle of glowing matter
- Macedonian: и́скра (ískra) — particle of glowing matter
- Malay: bunga api — particle of glowing matter
- Malayalam: തീപ്പൊരി (tīppori) — particle of glowing matter
- Māori: korā — particle of glowing matter
- Mazanderani: سریکه (serikke) — particle of glowing matter
- Middle English: sparke — particle of glowing matter
- Middle English: sparkel — particle of glowing matter
- Nanai: посин (posin) — particle of glowing matter
- Norwegian Bokmål: gnist — particle of glowing matter
- Norwegian Nynorsk: gneiste — particle of glowing matter
- Occitan: beluga — particle of glowing matter
- Occitan: scintila — particle of glowing matter
- Old Prussian: spanxti — particle of glowing matter
- Persian: جرقه (jeraqqe) — particle of glowing matter
- Persian: اخگر (axgar) — particle of glowing matter
- Persian: ابیز (abiz) — particle of glowing matter
- Persian: شراره (šarâre) — particle of glowing matter
- Plautdietsch: Funk — particle of glowing matter
- Polish: iskra — particle of glowing matter
- Portuguese: faísca — particle of glowing matter
- Portuguese: fagulha — particle of glowing matter
- Portuguese: chispa — particle of glowing matter
- Portuguese: faúlha — particle of glowing matter
- Portuguese: centelha — particle of glowing matter
- Romanian: scânteie — particle of glowing matter
- Romansh: sbrinzel — particle of glowing matter
- Russian: и́скра (ískra) — particle of glowing matter
- Russian: искра́ (iskrá) — particle of glowing matter
- Sardinian: schinchidha — particle of glowing matter
- Sardinian: scincidha — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: искра — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: варница — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: жижица — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: жижа — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: iskra — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: varnica — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: žižica — particle of glowing matter
- Serbo-Croatian: žiža — particle of glowing matter
- Sicilian: faiḍḍa — particle of glowing matter
- Sicilian: spisiḍḍa — particle of glowing matter
- Slovak: iskra — particle of glowing matter
- Slovene: iskra — particle of glowing matter
- Lower Sorbian: škrja — particle of glowing matter
- Upper Sorbian: škra — particle of glowing matter
- Southern Altai: кымын (kïmïn) — particle of glowing matter
- Spanish: chispa — particle of glowing matter
- Spanish: centella — particle of glowing matter
- Spanish: pavesa — particle of glowing matter
- Spanish: chiribita — particle of glowing matter
- Swedish: gnista — particle of glowing matter
- Tajik: шарора (šarora) — particle of glowing matter
- Tamil: பொறி (poṟi) — particle of glowing matter
- Tamil: தீப்பொறி (tīppoṟi) — particle of glowing matter
- Tamil: நெருப்புப்பொறி (neruppuppoṟi) — particle of glowing matter
- Tamil: அனற்பொறி (aṉaṟpoṟi) — particle of glowing matter
- Tatar: кыпкын (qıpqın) — particle of glowing matter
- Tatar: очкын (oçqın) — particle of glowing matter
- Thai: ประกาย (bprà-gaai) — particle of glowing matter
- Thai: ลูกไฟ (lûuk-fai) — particle of glowing matter
- Turkish: kıvılcım — particle of glowing matter
- Turkish: şerare — particle of glowing matter
- Turkmen: uçgun — particle of glowing matter
- Ukrainian: і́скра (ískra) — particle of glowing matter
- Urdu: چنگاری (cingārī) — particle of glowing matter
- Uzbek: uchqun — particle of glowing matter
- Vietnamese: tia lửa — particle of glowing matter
- Walloon: spite — particle of glowing matter
- Walloon: blawete — particle of glowing matter
- Walloon: spitron — particle of glowing matter
- Walloon: flamaxhe — particle of glowing matter
- Welsh: gwreichionen — particle of glowing matter
- Albanian: shkëndijë — burst of electrical discharge
- Armenian: կայծ (kayc) — burst of electrical discharge
- Old Armenian: կայծ (kayc) — burst of electrical discharge
- Old Armenian: կայծակն (kaycakn) — burst of electrical discharge
- Bulgarian: искра́ (iskrá) — burst of electrical discharge
- Catalan: espurna — burst of electrical discharge
- Catalan: guspira — burst of electrical discharge
- Catalan: centella — burst of electrical discharge
- Chinese Mandarin: 火花 (huǒhuā) — burst of electrical discharge
- Czech: jiskra — burst of electrical discharge
- Danish: gnist — burst of electrical discharge
- Dutch: vonk — burst of electrical discharge
- Esperanto: sparko — burst of electrical discharge
- Finnish: kipinä — burst of electrical discharge
- Galician: faísca — burst of electrical discharge
- Galician: funisca — burst of electrical discharge
- Galician: musca — burst of electrical discharge
- German: Funke — burst of electrical discharge
- Hebrew: נִיצוֹץ (nitzótz) — burst of electrical discharge
- Irish: spréach — burst of electrical discharge
- Italian: scintilla — burst of electrical discharge
- Japanese: スパーク (supāku) — burst of electrical discharge
- Korean: 스파크 (seupakeu) — burst of electrical discharge
- Latvian: dzirkstele — burst of electrical discharge
- Malay: percikan — burst of electrical discharge
- Norwegian Bokmål: gnist — burst of electrical discharge
- Norwegian Nynorsk: gneiste — burst of electrical discharge
- Persian: اسپیرک (isperk) — burst of electrical discharge
- Portuguese: faísca — burst of electrical discharge
- Russian: и́скра (ískra) — burst of electrical discharge
- Russian: искра́ (iskrá) — burst of electrical discharge
- Serbo-Croatian: искра — burst of electrical discharge
- Serbo-Croatian: iskra — burst of electrical discharge
- Serbo-Croatian: varnica — burst of electrical discharge
- Sicilian: faiḍḍa — burst of electrical discharge
- Lower Sorbian: škrja — burst of electrical discharge
- Upper Sorbian: škra — burst of electrical discharge
- Southern Altai: кымын (kïmïn) — burst of electrical discharge
- Spanish: chispa — burst of electrical discharge
- Spanish: centella — burst of electrical discharge
- Swahili: spaki — burst of electrical discharge
- Swedish: gnista — burst of electrical discharge
- Tamil: மின்பொறி (miṉpoṟi) — burst of electrical discharge
- Tatar: кыпкын (qıpqın) — burst of electrical discharge
- Tatar: очкын (oçqın) — burst of electrical discharge
- Turkish: kıvılcım — burst of electrical discharge
- Turkish: şerare — burst of electrical discharge
- Vietnamese: tia lửa điện — burst of electrical discharge
- Welsh: gwreichionen — burst of electrical discharge
- Welsh: taniad — burst of electrical discharge
- Bulgarian: проблясък (probljasǎk) — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Burmese: မီးပွား (mi:pwa:) — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Catalan: espurna — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Catalan: guspira — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Chinese Mandarin: 微量 (wēiliàng) — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Danish: gnist — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- French: étincelle — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Irish: splanc — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Italian: scintilla — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Latvian: dzirksts — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Middle English: sparkel — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Norwegian Bokmål: gnist — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Norwegian Nynorsk: gneiste — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Turkish: kıvılcım — figurative: small amount of something, which has the potential to become something greater
- Armenian: ռադիստ (ṙadist) — informal: ship's radio operator
- Norwegian Bokmål: gnist — informal: ship's radio operator
- Russian: эле́ктрик (eléktrik) — informal: ship's radio operator
- Russian: паяльник (pajalʹnik) — informal: ship's radio operator
- Albanian: ze — to trigger, kindle into activity
- Spanish: generar — to trigger, kindle into activity
- Spanish: crear — to trigger, kindle into activity
- Albanian: shkëlqen — to give off sparks
- Albanian: vezullon — to give off sparks
- Bulgarian: искря (iskrja) — to give off sparks
- Catalan: espurnejar — to give off sparks
- Catalan: guspirejar — to give off sparks
- Finnish: kipinöidä — to give off sparks
- Galician: chispear — to give off sparks
- Greek: σπιθίζω (spithízo) — to give off sparks
- Irish: spréach — to give off sparks
- Middle English: sparken — to give off sparks
- Middle English: sparklen — to give off sparks
- Polish: iskrzyć — to give off sparks
- Portuguese: faiscar — to give off sparks
- Portuguese: centelhar — to give off sparks
- Portuguese: fagulhar — to give off sparks
- Romanian: scânteia — to give off sparks
- Spanish: chispear — to give off sparks
- Spanish: chisporrotear — to give off sparks
- Welsh: gwreichioni — to give off sparks
- Welsh: tanio — to give off sparks
Real reading context