Definition of spawn

< spavined

spay >

spawn    (spôn) KEY 

NOUN:

1. The eggs of aquatic animals such as bivalve mollusks, fishes, and amphibians.
2. Offspring occurring in numbers; brood.
3. A person who is the issue of a parent or family.
4. The source of something; a germ or seed.
5. A product or an outcome.
6. Mycelia of mushrooms or other fungi grown in specially prepared organic matter for planting in beds.

VERB:
spawned, spawn·ing, spawns
VERB:
intr.

1. To deposit eggs; produce spawn.
2. To produce offspring in large numbers.

VERB:
tr.

1. To produce or deposit (spawn).
2. To produce in large numbers.
3. To give rise to; engender: tyranny that spawned revolt.
4. To cause to spawn; bring forth; produce: a family that had spawned a monster.
5. To plant with mycelia grown in specially prepared organic matter.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English spawne, from spawnen, to spawn, from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Latin expandere ; see expand

OTHER FORMS:
spawner(Noun)