noun

spur

noun

A spiked device worn on a rider's boot heel to urge a horse forward.

"The cowboy pressed his spurs gently into the horse's sides."

Something that motivates or drives someone to act.

"Fear of failure was the spur that pushed her to work harder."

"Competition can be a powerful spur to innovation."

A ridge or side branch jutting out from something larger, such as a mountain range or road.

"A narrow spur road connects the village to the main highway."

verb

To urge someone or something into action.

"The coach's speech spurred the team on to a second-half comeback."

How to Use Spur

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA spiked heel device for riding horses, or more broadly, anything that pushes someone into action.

Common mistake

The idiom "on the spur of the moment" means acting suddenly, without planning — it doesn't literally involve spurs or horses.

Common pairings

spur someone on on the spur of the moment spurred to action

spurred past tense, spurs plural, spurs plural, spurs plural, spurs plural, Spurs plural, Spurs plural, spurs singular

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The cowboy pressed his _____ gently into the horse's sides.

From Old English spora, spura, going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to kick."

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