[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spur.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / spur

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# spur

«spur» in Mova's school dictionary: **a small metal spike or wheel on the back of a rider's…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a spur, spurs); verb (spur, spurs, spurred, spurring)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A spur is a small metal spike or wheel on the back of a rider's boot, used to push a horse to go faster. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m1)

2) To spur someone on is to encourage them to try harder or go faster. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m2)

3) A spur is something that makes you act: «a spur to action». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m3)

4) «On the spur of the moment» means suddenly, without planning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m4)

5) In geography a spur is a ridge of high land that sticks out from a hill or mountain into a valley. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m5)

6) A spur is a sharp point on the back of the leg of some birds, such as a rooster. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m6)

7) (a name) Spurs is the nickname of Tottenham Hotspur football club and San Antonio Spurs basketball team. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#m7)

### sense in the lessons

In geography lessons on rivers you learn about «interlocking spurs», the ridges a young river winds around in a V-shaped valley. In cowboy stories and films riders have jingling spurs. In everyday life, cheering spurs on runners at sports day. Phrases: spur on, on the spur of the moment, spurred into action, interlocking spurs.

### examples

- The cowboy's spurs jingled as he walked. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x1)
- The crowd's cheers spurred her on to win the race. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x2)
- On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to the beach. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x3)
- The river winds between interlocking spurs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x4)
- The rooster had sharp spurs on its legs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x5)
- The fire spurred the town to build a new fire station. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x6)
- He supports Spurs, not Arsenal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x7)
- Good marks spurred him to work even harder. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x8)
- Hot with excitement, the Tsar spurred his horse on yet faster. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/#x9)

### note

Verb forms: spur, spurs, spurred, spurring (double r before -ed and -ing). Countable noun: a spur, spurs. «On the spur of the moment» is an idiom: no planning. «Spur on» means encourage, often with «to»: «The coach spurred us on to score.»

### In the corpora

- [The Sun lies about 26,000 light years from the galaxy's centre, in a smaller arm called the Orion Spur.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/space/23-the-milky-way/8/)
- [Therefore the LORD doth set upon high the adversaries of Rezin against him, and spur his enemies;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/ISA.197/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «spur» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spur/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.