spawn camp

Meanings

verbspawn camp (third-person singular simple present spawn camps, present participle spawn camping, simple past and past participle spawn camped)

present singular third person spawn camps · participle present spawn camping · participle past spawn camped · past spawn camped · alternative spawncamp

intransitivevideo gamesTo stay near a spawn point in order to kill players immediately after they spawn.
Some servers will ban you if you spawn camp too much.
1 more example
While one team is effectively pinned down by spawn campers, the team that has successfully spawn camped may proceed to complete any other goals of the match unobstructed.
2011, Galen Foresman, “What's Wrong with Camping?”, in Luke Cuddy, editor, Halo and Philosophy: Intellect Evolved (Popular Culture and Philosophy; 59), Chicago, I.L.; LaSalle, I.L.: Open Court, →ISBN, page 156
transitivevideo gamesTo kill (players) immediately after they spawn.
How am I supposed to do anything if I get spawn camped in five seconds?
1 more example
Of the turning point, he said, "We each got off our heroes and started playing random heroes. Dafran played Soldier for some reason, I stuck with Tracer, and we just ran to their spawn and then started spawn camping them."
2020, Austin Moorhead, quoting Sinatraa, Young Guns: Obsession, Overwatch, and the Future of Gaming, New York, N.Y.: Hachette Books, →ISBN, page 64

From spawn (“a location on a game map in which a player spawns”) + camp (“to stay beside something to gain an advantage”).

Cite this entry

APA

spawn camp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spawn%20camp

MLA

“spawn camp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spawn%20camp. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spawn camp,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spawn%20camp.