Library / English Dictionary

SPAWN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or molluscs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("spawn" is a kind of...):

egg (animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spawn"):

roe (the egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans such as the lobster)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lay spawn

Example:

The salmon swims upstream to spawn

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "spawn" is one way to...):

lay (lay eggs)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spawn"):

spat (spawn)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

spawner (a female fish at spawning time)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Call forth

Synonyms:

breed; engender; spawn

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "spawn" is one way to...):

cause; do; make (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Credits