Spore, spōr, n. the reproductive body in flowerless plants like the fern, analogous to the seeds of ordinary flowering plants, but containing no embryo: a germ, a seed, a source of being generally.—adjs. Sporan′gial; Sporangif′erous; Sporan′giform; Sporan′gioid, like a sporangium.—ns. Sporangī′olum, a small sporangium; Sporan′giophōre, the receptacle which bears the sporangia; Sporan′giospōre, one of the peculiar spores of the Myxomycetes; Sporan′gium (pl. Sporan′gia), a spore-case, the sac in which the spores are produced endogenously—also Spore′-case; Spō′ridesm (bot.), a pluricellular body which becomes free like a simple spore, and in which every cell is capable of germinating; Sporidī′olum, a secondary sporidium; Sporid′ium, a secondary spore borne on a promycelium: an ascospore; Sporificā′tion, spore-production; Sporipar′ity, reproduction by means of spores.—adj. Sporip′arous.—ns. Spō′rocarp, a many-celled form of fruit produced in certain lower cryptogams in consequence of a sexual act; Spō′rocyst, the cyst or capsule developed in the process of sporular encystment.—adj. Sporocyst′ic.—ns. Spō′roderm, the wall or covering of a spore; Sporogen′esis, reproduction by means of spores—also Sporog′eny.—adj. Sporog′enous.—n. Sporogō′nium, the sporocarp, capsule or so-called 'moss-fruit' in mosses.—adj. Spō′roid, like a spore.—ns. Sporol′ogist, a botanist who emphasises the spores in classification; Spō′rophore, the part of the thallus which bears spores: the placenta in flowering plants: a sporophyte.—adjs. Sporophor′ic, Sporoph′orous.—ns. Spō′rophyl, the leaf bearing the spores or spore receptacles; Spō′rophyte, the spore-bearing stage in the life-cycle of a plant.—adj. Sporophyt′ic.—ns. Spō′rosac, one of the gonophores of certain hydrozoans in which the medusoid structure is not developed: a redia or spiro-cyst, in Vermes; Sporostē′gium, the so-called fruit of plants in the Characeæ, consisting of the hard brownish spirally-twisted shell or covering of the spore.—adjs. Spō′rous; Spō′rular.—ns. Sporulā′tion, conversion into spores or sporules—also Sporā′tion; Spō′rule, a small spore.—adjs. Sporulif′erous, Spor′uloid. [Gr. sporos, a sowing, seed—speirein, to sow.]
Sporran, spor′an, n. an ornamental pouch worn in front of the kilt by the Highlanders of Scotland. [Gael, sporan.]
Sport, spōrt, v.i. to play: to frolic: to practise field diversions: to trifle.—v.t. to amuse: to make merry: to represent playfully: to spend in sport or display.—n. that which amuses or makes merry: play: mirth: jest: contemptuous mirth: anything for playing with: a toy: idle jingle: field diversion: an animal or plant, or one of its organs, that varies singularly and spontaneously from the normal type.—n. Sport′er, one who sports: a sportsman.—adj. Sport′ful, full of sport: merry: full of jesting.—adv. Sport′fully.—n. Sport′fulness.—adj. Sport′ing, relating to, or engaging in, sports.—adv. Sport′ingly.—adj. Sport′ive, inclined to sport: playful: merry: amorous, wanton.—adv. Sport′ively.—n. Sport′iveness.—adj. Sport′less, without sport or mirth: sad.—n. Sports′man, one who practises, or one skilled in, field-sports.—adj. Sports′man-like.—ns. Sports′manship, practice or skill of a sportsman; Sports′woman, a she-sportsman.—Sport one's oak (see Oak). [Formed by aphæresis from disport.]
Sposh, sposh, n. slush.—adj. Sposh′y.
Spot, spot, n. a mark made by a drop of wet matter: a blot: a discoloured place: a small part of a different colour: a small extent of space: any particular place: one of the marked points on a billiard-table, from which balls are played (for Centre-spot, Pyramid-spot, &c., see Billiards): one of the dark places on the surface of the sun, &c.: something that soils: a stain on character or reputation.—v.t. to mark with drops of wet: to stain: to discolour: to taint: to tarnish, as reputation: to note or recognise by some point, to detect: to indicate, name:—pr.p. spot′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. spot′ted.—adj. Spot′less, without a spot: untainted: pure.—adv. Spot′lessly.—ns. Spot′lessness; Spot′-stroke, a stroke in billiards when the player pockets the red ball from the 'spot,' leaving his own ball in position to repeat the stroke.—adjs. Spot′ted, Spot′ty, marked with spots or discoloured places.—ns. Spot′tedness, the state of being spotted; Spot′ter, one who spots or detects; Spot′tiness, state of being spotty.—Spot-barred game, a game at billiards when the spot-stroke is forbidden to be played more than twice consecutively. [Cf. Dut. spat, Dan. spætte; prob. conn. with spit.]
Spouse, spowz, n. a husband or wife.—adj. Spous′al, pertaining to a spouse, or to marriage: nuptial: matrimonial.—n. usually in pl. nuptials: marriage.—adj. Spouse′less, destitute of a spouse: unmarried. [O. Fr. espouse (Fr. époux, fem. épouse)—L. sponsus, pa.p. of spondēre, to promise in marriage.]
Spout, spowt, v.t. to throw out, as from a pipe: to utter volubly: to pawn, pledge.—v.i. to issue with violence, as from a pipe: to speak volubly, to speechify.—n. the projecting mouth of a vessel from which a stream issues: a pipe for conducting a liquid: a term applied to the blowing or breathing of whales and other cetaceans.—ns. Spout′er, one who, or that which, spouts: a speechifier: a South Sea whale, a skilful whaler; Spout′-hole, an orifice for discharging a liquid, a whale's spiracle.—adj. Spout′less, wanting a spout. [Skeat explains that spout, like speak, has lost an r, thus standing for sprout, the r being preserved in spurt, with nearly the same sense as spout. Sw. sputa for spruta, to squirt; Dut. spuiten.]
Sprack, sprak, adj. vigorous, sprightly.—Also Sprag. [Ice. sprækr, sparkr, sprightly.]
Sprackle, sprak′l, v.i. (Scot.) to clamber up with difficulty.—Also Sprach′le, Sprauch′le. [Ice. spraukla, to sprawl.]