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Added 9 October 2026

sprint

/spɹɪnt/ noun

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

A short race at top speed.
A burst of speed or activity.
In Agile software development, a period of development of a fixed time that is preceded and followed by meetings.

verb

To run, cycle, etc. at top speed for a short period.

Origin

Alteration of earlier sprent (“to leap; bound; dart”), from Northern Middle English sprenten, from Old Norse *sprenta (for later spretta), from Proto-Germanic *sprantijaną, causative of Proto-Germanic *sprintaną (“to jump up; bounce”), from Proto-Indo-European *sprend-, *sprendʰ- (“to flinch; jump”), from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to twitch; fidget; flinch; jump; be quick”). Cognate with Middle High German sprenzen (“to sprinkle; splash”), Swedish spritta (“to startle”), Icelandic spretta (“to spring forth; emerge; arise; develop”).

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

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