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Added 9 October 2026

spawn

/spɔːn/ verb

In Latin: pariō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spawn at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To produce or deposit (eggs) in water.
A frog spawns thousands of tadpoles every year.
To generate, bring into being, especially nonmammalian beings in very large numbers.
To bring forth in general.
The web server spawns a new process to handle each client's request.

noun

The numerous eggs of an aquatic organism.
Mushroom mycelium prepared for (aided) propagation.
Any germ or seed, even a figurative source.
This dreadful idea is the spawn of a large business conglomerate.

Origin

Recorded since 1413; from Middle English spawnen, from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Old French espandre, from Latin expandere (“stretch out; spread out”, verb). Doublet of expand. Compare also Middle English spalden, spolden, spawden (“to cut open (a fish)”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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