Spring vs Sting - What's the difference?
spring | sting |
To jump or leap.
* Philips
* 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
* 1912 : (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 5
* 1922 , (Virginia Woolf), (w, Jacob's Room) Chapter 2
To pass over by leaping.
To produce or disclose unexpectedly, especially of surprises, traps, etc.
* Dryden
* Jonathan Swift
* 29 February 2012 , Aidan Foster-Carter, BBC News
(slang) To release or set free, especially from prison.
To come into being, often quickly or sharply.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=However, with the dainty volume my quondam friend sprang into fame. At the same time he cast off the chrysalis of a commonplace existence.}}
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=17 To start or rise suddenly, as from a covert.
* Otway
To cause to spring up; to start or rouse, as game; to cause to rise from the earth, or from a covert.
To crack or split; to bend or strain so as to weaken.
To bend by force, as something stiff or strong; to force or put by bending, as a beam into its sockets, and allowing it to straighten when in place; often with in'', ''out , etc.
To issue with speed and violence; to move with activity; to dart; to shoot.
* Dryden
To fly back.
To bend from a straight direction or plane surface; to become warped.
To shoot up, out, or forth; to come to the light; to begin to appear; to emerge, like a plant from its seed, a stream from its source, etc.; often followed by up'', ''forth'', or ''out .
* Bible, Job xxxviii. 27
* Rowe
* Alexander Pope
To issue or proceed, as from a parent or ancestor; to result, as from a cause, motive, reason, or principle.
* Milton
(obsolete) To grow; to prosper.
* Dryden
To build (an arch).
To sound (a rattle, such as a watchman's rattle).
* 1850 , Samuel Prout Newcombe, Pleasant pages (page 197)
A leap; a bound; a jump.
* Dryden
(countable) Traditionally the first of the four seasons of the year in temperate regions, in which plants spring from the ground and trees come into blossom, following winter and preceding summer.
(countable) Meteorologically, the months of March, April and May in the northern hemisphere (or September, October and November in the southern).
* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
, author=Anna Lena Phillips
, title=Sneaky Silk Moths
, volume=100, issue=2, page=172
, magazine=(American Scientist)
(countable) The astronomically delineated period from the moment of vernal equinox, approximately March 21 in the northern hemisphere to the moment of the summer solstice, approximately June 21. (See for other variations.)
(countable) Spring tide; a tide of greater-than-average range, that is, around the first or third quarter of a lunar month, or around the times of the new or full moon.
(countable) A place where water emerges from the ground.
(uncountable) The property of a body of springing to its original form after being compressed, stretched, etc.
Elastic power or force.
* Dryden
(countable) A mechanical device made of flexible or coiled material that exerts force when it is bent, compressed or stretched.
(countable, slang) An erection of the penis.
(countable) The source of an action or of a supply.
* 1748 . David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973, § 9.
* Bible, Psalms lxxxvii
* Bentley
Any active power; that by which action, or motion, is produced or propagated; cause; origin; motive.
* Alexander Pope
That which springs, or is originated, from a source.
# A race; lineage.
# A youth; a springald.
# A shoot; a plant; a young tree; also, a grove of trees; woodland.
(obsolete) That which causes one to spring; specifically, a lively tune.
The time of growth and progress; early portion; first stage.
* Bible, 1 Sam. ix. 26
* Shakespeare
(countable, nautical) A rope attaching the bow of a vessel to the stern-side of the jetty, or vice versa, to stop the vessel from surging.
(nautical) A line led from a vessel's quarter to her cable so that by tightening or slacking it she can be made to lie in any desired position; a line led diagonally from the bow or stern of a vessel to some point upon the wharf to which she is moored.
(nautical) A crack or fissure in a mast or yard, running obliquely or transversely.
A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
A bite by an insect.
A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis
(botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
* Shakespeare
(law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal.
A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
A brief sequence of music used in films, TV as a form of punctuation in a dramatic or comedic scene. In certain videogames stings are used to predict immediate future actions or to illustrate a current tension or mood.
A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
*
(figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.
* Bible, 1 Corinthians xv. 56
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=January 19
, author=Jonathan Stevenson
, title=Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal
, work=BBC
A goad; incitement.
The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
(of an insect) To bite.
(sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=January 11
, author=Jonathan Stevenson
, title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham
, work=BBC
(figurative) To cause harm or pain to.
As a proper noun spring
is spring, the season of warmth and new vegetation following winter.As a noun sting is
a bump left on the skin after having been stung.As a verb sting is
to hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.spring
English
Verb
- The mountain stag that springs / From height to height, and bounds along the plains.
- She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined dismally. Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opened the door.
- Not thirty paces behind the two she crouched—Sabor, the huge lioness—lashing her tail. Cautiously she moved a great padded paw forward, noiselessly placing it before she lifted the next. Thus she advanced; her belly low, almost touching the surface of the ground — a great cat preparing to spring upon its prey.
- Archer and Jacob jumped up from behind the mound where they had been crouching with the intention of springing upon their mother unexpectedly, and they all began to walk slowly home.
- to spring over a fence (in this sense, the verb spring must be accompanied by the preposition 'over'.)
- She starts, and leaves her bed, amd springs a light.
- The friends to the cause sprang a new project.
North Korea: The denuclearisation dance resumes
- North Korea loves to spring surprises. More unusual is for its US foe to play along.
citation, passage=The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue.
- watchful as fowlers when their game will spring
- to spring a pheasant
- to spring a mast or a yard
- to spring in a slat or a bar
- And sudden light / Sprung through the vaulted roof.
- A bow, when bent, springs back by its elastic power.
- A piece of timber, or a plank, sometimes springs in seasoning.
- to satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth
- Do not blast my springing hopes.
- O, spring to light; auspicious Babe, be born.
- [They found] new hope to spring / Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linked.
- What makes all this, but Jupiter the king, / At whose command we perish, and we spring ?
- They sprung an arch over the lintel.
- I do not know how John and his mistress would have settled the fate of the thief, but just at this moment a policeman entered — for the cook had sprung the rattle, and had been screaming "Murder" and "Thieves."
Usage notes
* The past-tense forms sprang and sprung are both well attested historically. In modern usage, as a past participle is attested, but is no longer in standard use.Synonyms
* bound, jump, leap * (release or set free) free, let out, release, spring looseDerived terms
* hope springs eternal * outspring * overspring * respring * spring a butt * spring an arch * spring a leak * spring a rattle * spring at * springel * springer * spring for * spring forth * spring-hare * spring in * springing * spring into action * spring-jack * spring-lobster * spring loose * spring on * spring the luff * spring to life * spring to mind * spring-tree * spring up * upspringNoun
- The prisoner, with a spring , from prison broke.
- Spring is the time of the year most species reproduce.
- I spent my spring holidays in Morocco.
- You can visit me in the spring , when the weather is bearable.
citation, passage=Last spring , the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}
- This water is bottled from the spring of the river.
- the spring of a bow
- Heavens! what a spring was in his arm!
- We jumped so hard the bed springs broke.
- ... discover, at least in some degree, the secret springs and principles, by which the human mind is actuated in its operations?
- All my springs are in thee.
- A secret spring of spiritual joy.
- Our author shuns by vulgar springs to move / The hero's glory, or the virgin's love.
- (Chapman)
- (Spenser)
- (Spenser)
- (Milton)
- (Beaumont and Fletcher)
- The spring of the day.
- O how this spring of love resembleth / The uncertain glory of an April day.
- You should put a couple of springs onto the jetty to stop the boat moving so much.
Usage notes
(season name spelling)Synonyms
* (place where water emerges from the ground): fount, source * (property of a body of springing to its original form): bounce, bounciness, elasticity, resilience, springiness * boner, chubby, hard-on, stiffy, woody; see also * (source of an action): impetus, impulseAntonyms
* (spring tide): neap tideDerived terms
* advance spring * after-spring * afterspring * air spring * air-spring * anti-rattle spring * (Arlington Springs Man) * (w) * artesian spring * austral spring * autumn-spring * auxiliary spring * balance spring * Barton Springs salamander * bedspring * (Beijing Spring) * Belleville spring * bending spring * (Berber Spring) * boiling spring * border spring * bow spring * box spring, box-spring * brine spring * brush spring * buckling spring * Caballine spring * Cambridge Springs defence, Cambridge Springs defense * cantilever spring * card spring * cart spring * cee spring, cee-spring, C spring, c-spring * clock spring * closed spring * coiled spring sign * coil spring * coil spring clutch * (ColdSpring) * compression spring * contact spring * (Croatian Spring) * cupped spring washer * (Damascus Spring) * damper spring * day-spring, dayspring * detent ball and spring * diaphragm spring * door hold-open spring * draw-spring, drawspring * driving spring * extension spring * extra spring * farewell-to-spring * finger spring * flat spring * float bumper spring * footsteps-of-spring * forest-spring encephalitis * garter spring * gas spring * graduated spring * haemoglobin Constant Spring, hemoglobin Constant Spring * hairspring * hand-spring, handspring * harbinger-of-spring * headspring * helical spring * helper spring * hot spring * hydrospring * Indian spring low water * innerspring * inside spring caliper * jagger spring * Jesus spring * Kesling spring * laminated spring * land-spring * laspring * latter spring * leaf spring, leaf-spring * lifespring * locating spring * loop spring * mainspring * master-spring * mean high water spring * mean low water spring * meshing spring * mid-spring * mineral spring * motor spring * natural spring * negative spring * offspring * ofspring * open spring * (Operation Spring Awakening) * (Operation Spring Cleanup) * (Operation Spring of Youth) * outside spring caliper * outspring * overload spring * paddle spring * parabolic spring * Pierian Spring * piston spring * (Prague Spring) * progressive rate spring * progressive valve spring * progressively wound valve spring * rattle spring * restoring spring * retainer spring tool * retro-spring * return spring * Russian spring-summer encephalitis * saddle-spring * salt spring * sear spring * sea-spring * seepage spring * semi-elliptic spring * separating spring * shoe return spring * single rate spring * soda spring * spiral spring * splayed spring * spreader spring * spring-action * (Spring and Autumn Period) * spring azure * spring back, spring-back * (Springbal) * spring balance * Spring Bank Holiday * spring bar * spring-based * spring baton * spring beam, spring-beam * spring beating * spring beating spoon * spring beauty, spring-beauty * spring bed * spring beetle, spring-beetle * spring-bell * spring-biased * spring binder, spring-binder * spring-binding * spring-bladed * spring bloom * spring-board, springboard * spring bolt * spring booster * spring bow * spring bows * spring box * spring brake * spring branch, spring-branch * spring break * spring cabbage * spring cankerworm * spring cap * spring-carriage * spring-cart * spring catch * spring channel binder * spring chicken * spring choke * spring clamp * spring-cleaning * spring cleavers * spring clip * spring clutch * spring collar * spring collet * spring compressor * spring conjunctivitis * spring constant * spring cress * spring crocus * spring crust * Spring Day * spring disease * spring divider * spring drive * spring dwindling * springed * spring ephemeral * spring equation * spring equinox * springet * spring eye * (Springfest) * spring festival * spring fever * spring finger * springfish * spring-flood * spring fly * spring force * springform pan * spring frog * spring-froth * springful * spring garden * spring gentian * spring ginger * spring grass, spring-grass * spring green * spring greens * spring gun, spring-gun * spring hanger * spring hare, spring-hare, springhare * spring-head, springhead * spring-headed * spring heath * spring-heeled * spring herring * spring hock * spring-hole * Spring Holiday * spring hook * spring-house, springhouse * spring in one's step * springish * spring isolator * spring juices * spring-keeper, springkeeper * spring lamb * spring lancet * spring latch * springle * springless * springlet * spring ligament * spring-like, springlike * spring line, springline * spring line settlement, springline settlement * springling * spring-loaded * spring lock, spring-lock, springlock * spring lock washer * spring-locked * spring mattress * spring melt * spring mix * (The Spring of Arda) * (The Spring Offensive) * (w) * spring of pork * spring of the leaf * spring of the year * spring onion * spring ophthalmia * spring overshoot * spring overturn * (Spring Palace) * spring pasque flower * spring peeper * spring pin * spring-pit * spring planting * spring plate * spring-pottage * spring rail * spring rate * spring-release * spring ring clasp * spring roll * spring-run fish * spring runoff * spring rye * spring sail * spring salmon * spring-salt * spring scale * spring scalecap * spring seat * spring shackle * spring sludge * spring snow * spring soup * springspotter * spring squill * spring stay * spring steel * spring suspension * spring sweep * spring tail, spring-tail, springtail * spring tapping * spring-teller * spring temper * spring thaw * spring tide * spring-tide, springtide * spring time, spring-time, springtime * spring-tooth * spring training * spring-tree * Spring Triangle * spring-type brake actuator * spring usher * spring vetch * spring vetchling * spring wagon * spring wagtail * spring washer * spring water, spring-water, springwater * spring-well * spring wheat * spring windup * spring wood, spring-wood, springwood * springy * steel spring * sulfur spring, sulphur spring * tensioning spring * tension spring * thermal spring * thermostatic spring choke * throttle return spring * torsion spring * trailing spring * truss spring steel * underspring * upholstery coil spring * uprighting spring * upspring * valve spring * valve spring cap * valve spring collar * valve spring compressor * valve spring depressor * valve spring lifter * valve spring retainer * valve spring seat * variable rate spring * variable spring * vauclusian spring * vintage spring * volute spring * V-spring * wall spring * warm spring * watch main spring steel * watch-spring * water-spring * wave spring * weeping spring * well-spring, wellspring * zero-length spring * Z springSee also
* * geyser * Hooke's law * seep * Slinky * vernal * wellReferences
sting
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- the lurking serpent's mortal sting
- The sting of death is sin.
citation, page= , passage=Just as it appeared Arsenal had taken the sting out of the tie, Johnson produced a moment of outrageous quality, thundering a bullet of a left foot shot out of the blue and into the top left-hand corner of Wojciech Szczesny's net with the Pole grasping at thin air. }}
- (Shakespeare)
Synonyms
* (pointed portion of an insect) stingerEtymology 2
From (etyl) stingen, from (etyl) . Compare Swedish and Icelandic stinga.Verb
- Right so came out an adder of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot.
- Still, it stung when a slightly older acquaintance asked me why I couldn't do any better.
- My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.
citation, page= , passage=But Birmingham were clearly stung by some harsh words from manager Alex McLeish at the break and within 15 minutes of the restart the game had an entirely different complexion.}}
- I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!