Spunge, spunj, v. and n. a form of sponge.
Spunk, spungk, n. touchwood, tinder, a fungus from which tinder is made, punk, amadou: (Scot.) a small fire, a fiery spark, a lucifer-match: mettle, spirit, pluck.—v.i. to take fire, flame up.—adj. Spunk′y, spirited: fiery-tempered. [Cf. Ir. sponc, tinder, sponge—L. spongia, a sponge—Gr. sponggia.]
Spur, spur, n. an instrument on a horseman's heels, with sharp points for goading the horse: that which goads or instigates: something projecting: the hard projection on a cock's leg: a small range of mountains extending laterally from a larger range.—v.t. to urge on with spurs: to urge onward: to impel: to put spurs on.—v.i. to press forward: to travel in great haste:—pr.p. spur′ring; pa.t. and pa.p. spurred.—v.t. Spur′-gall (Shak.), to gall or wound with a spur.—ns. Spur′-gear, -gear′ing, gearing in which spur-wheels are used.—adj. Spur′-heeled, having a long straight hind-claw.—n. Spur′-leath′er, the strap by which the spur is fastened to the foot.—p.adj. Spurred, wearing spurs: having shoots like spurs: affected with ergot, as rye.—ns. Spur′rer, one who, or that which, spurs; Spur′rier, one who makes spurs; Spur′-roy′al, an ancient English coin, worth fifteen shillings, so called from having a star on one side resembling the rowel of a spur; Spur′-way, a bridle-road; Spur′-whang=Spur-leather; Spur′-wheel (mech.), a wheel with the cogs on the face of the edge like a spur.—adj. Spur′-winged, with a horny spur on the pinion, as with the plovers, &c. [A.S. spora; Ice. spori, Ger. sporn.]
Spurge, spurj, n. a genus of plants of the natural order Euphorbiaceæ, all the species containing a resinous milky juice mostly very acrid.—n. Spurge′-lau′rel, a European evergreen shrub, with yellowish-green flowers, thick leaves, and poisonous berries. [O. Fr. espurge (Fr. épurge)—L. expurgāre, to purge—ex, off, purgāre, to clear.]
Spuriæ, spū′ri-ē, n.pl. the bastard quills forming the alula in birds.
Spurious, spūr′i-us, adj. illegitimate: bastard: not genuine: false: resembling an organ, but without its function, or having the functions of an organ while morphologically different.—adv. Spūr′iously.—n. Spūr′iousness. [L. spurius, false.]
Spurling=Sparling (q.v.).
Spurn, spurn, v.t. to drive away as with the foot: to kick: to reject with disdain.—n. disdainful rejection.—n. Spurn′er, one who spurns. [A.S. speornan; cog. with spur.]
Spurne, spurn, v.t. (Spens.) to spur.
Spurry, spur′i, n. a plant of the genus Spergula. [O. Fr. sporrie, of Teut. origin; cf. Ger. spörgel.]