spurt

present singular third person spurts · participle present spurting · participle past spurted · past spurted · alternative spirt

1. transitiveTo cause to gush out suddenly or violently in a stream or jet.
2. intransitiveTo rush from a confined place in a small stream or jet.

   Thus the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, / Spurts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock.

   1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   With that he pulled open his shirt, and with his long sharp nails opened a vein in his breast. When the blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight, and with the other seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound, so that I must either suffocate or swallow some to the . . . Oh, my God! My God! What have I done?

   1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC

   In the floor of the valley the line passes hills of fantastic shape, like sleeping camels and inverted washbasins, and you can see the beautiful lakes Naivasha and Elementeita; at Eburru jets of steam spurt out of the ground.

   1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 265

plural spurts · alternative spirt

1. A brief gush, as of liquid spurting from an orifice or a cut/wound.

   a spurt of water; a spurt of blood

2. slangEjaculation of semen.

   "Clean all your spurt off me, man." And so I did.

   2019, R.W. Clinger, Stockton County Cowboys Box Set, JMS Books LLC, →ISBN

3. obsoleteA shoot; a bud.

   The Garden Sperages[…]send out at first certaine greene spurts or buds peeping forth of the ground.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book II.]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC

plural spurts · alternative spirt

1. A moment, a short period of time.

   Synonyms: instant, jiffy, bat of an eye, bit, blink of an eye, crack, eyeblink, flash

2. A sudden brief burst of, or increase in, speed, effort, activity, emotion or development.

   The boss's visit prompted a brief spurt of activity.

   3 more examples

   I seem to remember talking wanderingly to myself during that last spurt.

   1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 111

   The long, steady sweep of the so-called "paddle" tried him almost as much as the breathless strain of the spurt.

   1859, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown At Oxford

   After a brief spurt of conviviality on our part, my partner and I quickly moved on to our priority— tracking down play parties.

   1991 April 22, Wickie Stamps, “A Lesbian Looks At The GMSMA's 10ᵗʰ Anniversary Celebration”, in Gay Community News, page 11

3. The act of spurting, or something spurted

   He thrust against her and deep inside, she felt his spurt of semen. Her clit jumped in response, and Lily tumbled into an orgasm that shook her clear to her toes.

   2015, Shelley Munro, Alexandre

present singular third person spurts · participle present spurting · participle past spurted · past spurted · alternative spirt

1. intransitiveTo make a strong effort for a short period of time.

   The bullion market spurted on Thursday.

   1 more example

   The runners spurted to the last lap as if they had extracted new energy from the applauds of the audience.