verb

spawn

verb

Of fish, frogs, or other aquatic creatures, to lay eggs in water.

"Salmon swim upstream to spawn."

To bring about or give rise to something, often in large numbers.

"The film spawned a dozen imitators."

"The rumor spawned all sorts of wild theories."

In video games, to appear (or cause a character or object to appear) at a set point in the game world.

"Players respawn at the last checkpoint after dying."

noun

The eggs of a fish or amphibian.

"The pond was thick with frog spawn in spring."

How to Use Spawn

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo lay eggs (for fish and similar animals), or more broadly, to give rise to something, especially something that multiplies.

Common pairings

fish spawn spawn imitators spawn point

spawned past tense, spawn plural, spawns plural, spawns singular

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Salmon swim upstream to _____.

Traced to Anglo-Norman espaundre, ultimately from Latin expandere, "to spread out" — the same root behind "expand."

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