Spur

Noun

 * 1) A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for purpose of prodding a horse. Often worn by, and emblematic of, the cowboy or the knight.W.
 * 2) * 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Scene VI, line 4:
 * Lives he, good uncle? thrice within this hour I saw him down; thrice up again, and fighting; From helmet to the spur all blood he was.
 * 1) * 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 22:
 * Two sorts of spurs seem to have been in use about the time of the Conquest, one called a pryck, having only a single point like the gaffle of a fighting cock; the other consisting of a number of points of considerable length, radiating from and revolving on a center, thence named the rouelle or wheel spur.
 * 1) Anything that inspires or motivates, as a spur does to a horse.
 * 2) * 1601, William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, Act II, Scene II, line 198.
 * But, worthy Hector, She is a theme of honour and renown, A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds...
 * 1) An appendage or spike pointing rearward, near the foot, for instance that of a rooster.
 * 2) Any protruding part connected at one end, for instance a highway that extends from another highway into a city.
 * 3) Roots, tree roots.
 * 4) * 1609, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene II, line 57:
 * I do note / That grief and patience, rooted in them both, / Mingle their spurs together.
 * 1)  Fan or member of Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Derived terms

 * spur-of-the-moment

Related terms

 * (rigid implement) rowel, pryck, prick

Verb

 * 1) To prod (esp. a horse) in the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or haste, to gig.
 * 2) * 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act V, Scene III, line 339:
 * Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head! Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!
 * 1) To urge or encourage to action, or to a more vigorous pursuit of an object; to incite; to stimulate; to instigate; to impel; to drive.
 * 2) * 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene IV, line 4.
 * My desire (More sharp than filed steel) did spur me forth...
 * 1) To put spurs on; as, a spurred boot.

Derived terms

 * spur on

Thesaurus
accelerate, activation, actuation, aculeate, acuminate, animate, appendage, arm, arouse, awaken, barb, barbel, barbule, bill, bough, branch, brashly, breakwater, bundle, bustle, cage, cape, catalyst, cheer on, chersonese, cog, comb, coral reef, corral, countenance, crag, crest, crowd, cuspidate, delta, dispatch, drive, drive on, drove, edge, egg on, encourage, encouragement, excitant, excite, exhort, expedite, fang, favor, file, flog, foreland, forward, gad, gadfly, gaff, goad, goad on, grind, hand, harrow, haste, hasten, hasten on, hastily, head, headland, herd, hie on, hilltop, hone, hook, hound on, hurry, hurry along, hurry on, hurry up, hustle, hustle up, imp, impel, impetuously, impetus, impromptu, impulse, impulsively, incautiously, incentive, incitation, incite, incitement, induce, inducement, instigate, instigation, jag, joint, knoll, lash, leg, limb, link, lobe, lobule, lofty peak, member, motivate, motivation, motive, mountaintop, mull, naze, needle, ness, nudge, offshoot, oilstone, on the spot, organ, oxgoad, peak, pecten, peninsula, pic, pico, pike, pinion, pinnacle, point, poke, precipice, precipitate, press, pressure, prick, process, prod, projection, promontory, prompt, prompting, prong, propel, provocation, provoke, punch cattle, push, push on, push through, quicken, quill, railroad through, rake, rally, ramification, rashly, ratchet, recklessly, reef, reset, ride herd on, root on, round up, rouse, rowel, runner, rush, rush along, sandspit, sawtooth, scion, set, sharpen, shepherd, sic, snag, snaggle, speed, speed along, speed on, speed up, spiculate, spike, spine, spire, spit, spray, sprig, sprocket, spur on, stampede, steeple, stimulant, stimulate, stimulation, stimulus, sting, stir, strap, strop, suddenly, summit, switch, tail, taper, tendril, thoughtlessly, tine, tongue, tooth, tor, twig, unexpectedly, unpremeditatedly, unthinkingly, urge, urge on, urging, whet, whip, whip along, whip on, whiplash, wing, wrangle

Etymology
spora

Noun

 * Chinese: 马刺 (mǎcì)
 * Czech:
 * Danish: spore
 * Dutch:
 * Finnish:
 * French:
 * German:
 * Hungarian: sarkantyú
 * Italian:


 * Polish: ostroga
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian:
 * Serbo-Croatian:
 * Cyrillic: мамуза, оструга
 * Roman: mamuza, ostruga
 * Spanish:
 * Turkish: mahmuz


 * Chinese: 鞭策 (biāncè), 激励 (jīlì), 刺激 (cìjī), 鼓舞 (gǔwǔ)
 * Danish: spore
 * Finnish:


 * German:
 * Italian:
 * Spanish:, ;


 * Czech:
 * Danish: spore
 * French: ergot


 * Italian:
 * Russian:
 * Spanish:


 * Chinese: 支线 (zhīxiàn)
 * Italian: diramazione, divaricazione, sporgenza, protuberanza


 * Spanish:, ,


 * Finnish:
 * Italian: propaggini


 * Spanish:

Verb

 * Chinese: 策(马)前进 (cè [mǎ] qiánjìn)
 * Finnish:
 * French:
 * German: die Sporen geben
 * Indonesian: memacu


 * Italian: pungolare, spronare
 * Russian: пришпоривать, пришпорить
 * Spanish:, ,
 * Swedish: sporra


 * Chinese: 鞭策 (biāncè), 激励 (jīlì), 刺激 (cìjī), 鼓舞 (gǔwǔ), 促进 (cùjìn), 刺激(某事)发生 (cìjī [mǒu shì] fāshēng)
 * Dutch:
 * Finnish: ,
 * German:


 * Italian: stimolare, incoraggiare, instigare, incitare
 * Romanian:
 * Spanish:, , , , ,
 * Swedish: sporra


 * German: mit Sporen versehen
 * Italian: montare gli speroni


 * Spanish: poner (las) espuelas