Skip to main content
spur

spur

5 5.4
A sharp pointed part that sticks out from a plant or animal
  • noun
  • /spɜr/
translation icon : espolón
  • The doctor explained that the pain in my foot was caused by a sharp bone spur pressing against the tissue.
  • bone spurs
  • spur gear
  • tissues overlying spurs

They just think, Oh, well, he had bone spurs.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The wind rushed around a stone spur, scattering sand grains on his face.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Because it would have revealed a bone spur that had to be removed expensively.

    Blog text (4)
  • We could build a holding yard up on the flat spur, and drive them in.

  • I checked into the hospital to have a bone spur removed.

  • You were not able to serve in Vietnam because of a bone spur condition in your feet.

  • I'm checking into a hospital to have a bone spur removed from my foot.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I can see Stonehenge less than a mile away, on a gently sloping spur, dwarfed by surrounding hills.

    Academic text (2008)
  • She carefully avoided stepping on a metal spur that was sticking out of the old fence.

  • During the hike, we reached a rocky spur that offered a stunning view of the valley below.

Synonyms

spike
vsspur
58 3.6

A long thin pointed part on something like a shoe or fence

is a sharp projection that can be shorter or less elongated in shape
spine
vsspur
40 4.1

A sharp, stiff part on a plant or animal that can prick

is any pointed projection and may not be especially stiff
prong
vsspur
19 4.3

A thin pointed part on things like a fork or antler

is used for a single pointed projection rather than multiple ones
tine
vsspur
6 8.1

A sharp point on a fork, pitchfork, or antler

is the general projection term not limited to tools or antlers
prickle
vsspur
4 3.9

A small sharp point on a plant stem or leaf that can scratch

is a general projection term that also covers larger or nonplant ones
calcar
vsspur
  • Specialized
9.9

A small pointed growth on an animal or plant that supports a wing and holds nectar

is the general nontechnical term for that pointed projection
acantha
vsspur
  • Specialized
9.9

A sharp point on an animal or plant that protects it

is broader applying to projections on any surface or structure
spikelet
vsspur
  • Specialized
9.6

A small pointed part on a grass or grain stem that holds small flowers

is the broader term not limited to tiny tips or plant parts

Idioms

12 5.5

A sudden decision made without thinking

To act suddenly without planning or thinking

Compounds

4 5.8

Happening suddenly without planning, often as a quick decision

spur gear
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A wheel with straight teeth that turns another wheel on a parallel axle

spur track
  • Specialized
7.4

A short rail line that turns off a main line to reach a factory or warehouse

spur wheel
  • Specialized
7.9

A wheel with straight teeth that fit another wheel to send power between parallel shafts

spur blight
  • Specialized
9.8

A disease caused by a fungus that makes raspberry stems wilt and get dark spots near the leaves

How Pointed

spike
58 3.6
thorn
53 1.0
prong
19 4.3
spur
5 5.4
bump
118 2.5
knob
66 1.4

Surface Forms

spur singular
spurs plural

Etymology

Spur for a sharp projection on a plant or animal comes from an old word for a 'point' or 'spike', so it simply names any small pointed part that sticks out. A plant spur or a rooster's spur is the same idea of a little sharp point.