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Sporocarp

A closed body or conceptacle containing one or more masses of spores or sporangia. A sporangium.

Sporocyst

An asexual zooid, usually forming one of a series of larval forms in the agamic reproduction of various trematodes and other parasitic worms. The sporocyst generally develops from an egg, but in its turn produces other larvae by internal budding, or by the subdivision of a part or all of its contents into a number of minute germs. See Redia.

Sporogony

The growth or development of an animal or a zooid from a nonsexual germ.

Sporophore

A placenta. That alternately produced form of certain cryptogamous plants, as ferns, mosses, and the like, which is nonsexual, but produces spores in countless numbers. In ferns it is the leafy plant, in mosses the capsule. Cf. Oophore.

Sporophyte

In plants exhibiting alternation of generations, the generation which bears asexual spores; -- opposed to gametophyte. It is not clearly differentiated in the life cycle of the lower plants.

Sporosac

A hydrozoan reproductive zooid or gonophore which does not become medusoid in form or structure. See Illust. under Athecata. An early or simple larval stage of trematode worms and some other invertebrates, which is capable of reproducing other germs by asexual generation; a nurse; a redia.

Sporozoa

An extensive division of parasitic Protozoa, which increase by sporulation. It includes the Gregarinida.

Sporozoite

In certain Sporozoa, a small active, usually elongate, sickle-shaped or somewhat amoeboid spore, esp. one of those produced by division of the passive spores into which the zygote divides. The sporozoites reproduce asexually.

Sporran

A large purse or pouch made of skin with the hair or fur on, worn in front of the kilt by Highlanders when in full dress.

Sport

To divert; to amuse; to make merry; -- used with the reciprocal pronoun.

Sportal

Of or pertaining to sports; used in sports.

Sporter

One who sports; a sportsman.

Sportful

Full of sport; merry; frolicsome; full of jesting; indulging in mirth or play; playful; wanton; as, a sportful companion.

Sporting

Of, pertaining to, or engaging in, sport or sports; exhibiting the character or conduct of one who, or that which, sports.

Sportive

Tending to, engaged in, or provocative of, sport; gay; frolicsome; playful; merry.

Sportling

A little person or creature engaged in sports or in play.

Sportsman

One who pursues the sports of the field; one who hunts, fishes, etc.

Sportula

A gift; a present; a prize; hence, an alms; a largess.

Sportulary

Subsisting on alms or charitable contributions.

Sportule

A charitable gift or contribution; a gift; an alms; a dole; a largess; a sportula.

Sporulation

The act or process of forming spores; spore formation. See Illust. of Bacillus, (b).

Spot

Lit., being on the spot, or place; on hand for immediate delivery after sale; -- said of commodities; as, spot wheat.

Spotless

Without a spot; especially, free from reproach or impurity; pure; untainted; innocent; as, a spotless mind; spotless behavior.

Spotlight

The projected spot or circle of light used to illuminate brilliantly a single person or object or group on the stage, leaving the rest of the stage more or less unilluminated.

Spotted

Marked with spots; as, a spotted garment or character.

Spotty

Full of spots; marked with spots.

Spousal

Marriage; nuptials; espousal; -- generally used in the plural; as, the spousals of Hippolita.

Spout

That through which anything spouts; a discharging lip, pipe, or orifice; a tube, pipe, or conductor of any kind through which a liquid is poured, or by which it is conveyed in a stream from one place to another; as, the spout of a teapot; a spout for conducting water from the roof of a building.

Spouter

One who, or that which, spouts.

Spoutfish

A marine animal that spouts water; -- applied especially to certain bivalve mollusks, like the long clams (Mya), which spout, or squirt out, water when retiring into their holes.

Spoutshell

Any marine gastropod shell of the genus Apporhais having an elongated siphon. See Illust. under Rostrifera.

Sprain

The act or result of spraining; lameness caused by spraining; as, a bad sprain of the wrist.

Sprat

A small European herring (Clupea sprattus) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; -- called also garvie. The name is also applied to small herring of different kinds. A California surf-fish (Rhacochilus toxotes); -- called also alfione, and perch.

Sprawl

To spread and stretch the body or limbs carelessly in a horizontal position; to lie with the limbs stretched out ungracefully.

sprawl

The position or state resulting from sprawling; as, he sat on the couch in a sprawl; uncontrolled urban sprawl.

Sprawls

Small branches of a tree; twigs; sprays.

Spray

To let fall in the form of spray.

Spray can

a small can containing a liquid under pressure of a gas that forces the liquid out in an aerosol form when the valve is opened.

Spray gun

a container for liquid, fitted with a conduit that can be supplied with compressed air, desiged to allowing the contents to be sprayed as an aerosol. Such devices are used to spray paints and various other liquids.

Spray-paint

To paint (a surface) by means of a spray, using a spray can or spray gun.

Sprayer

One that sprays; any instrument for vaporizing and spraying liquids.

Spread

imp. p. p. of Spread, v.

spread-eagle

To assume a spread-eagled position; -- it may be done reclining, for relaxation, or momentarily, as an exhibitionary maneuver in a sport.

spread-eagled

Being in a position with the arms and legs extended fully.

Spreader

One who, or that which, spreads, expands, or propagates.

Sprechery

Movables of an inferior description; especially, such as have been collected by depredation.

Spree

A merry frolic; especially, a drinking frolic; a carousal.

Sprent

p. p. of Sprenge. Sprinkled.

Spreynd

p. p. of Sprenge. Sprinkled.

Sprig

To mark or adorn with the representation of small branches; to work with sprigs; as, to sprig muslin.

Spriggy

Full of sprigs or small branches.

Sprightful

Full of spirit or of life; spirited; earnest; vivacious; lively; brisk; nimble; gay.

Sprightliness

The quality or state of being sprightly; liveliness; life; briskness; vigor; activity; gayety; vivacity.

Sprightly

Sprightlike, or spiritlike; lively; brisk; animated; vigorous; airy; gay; as, a sprightly youth; a sprightly air; a sprightly dance.

Sprigtail

The pintail duck; -- called also sprig, and spreet-tail. The sharp-tailed grouse.

Spring

A leap; a bound; a jump.

Springal

An ancient military engine for casting stones and arrows by means of a spring.

Springboard

An elastic board, secured at the ends, or at one end, often by elastic supports, used in performing feats of agility or in exercising.

Springbuck Springbok

A South African gazelle (Gazella euchore) noted for its graceful form and swiftness, and for its peculiar habit of springing lightly and suddenly into the air. It has a white dorsal stripe, expanding into a broad patch of white on the rump and tail. Called also springer.

Springer

One who, or that which, springs; specifically, one who rouses game.

Springhalt

A kind of lameness in a horse. See Stringhalt.

Springing

The act or process of one who, or that which, springs.

Springtail

Any one of numerous species of small apterous insects belonging to the order Thysanura. They have two elastic caudal stylets which can be bent under the abdomen and then suddenly extended like a spring, thus enabling them to leap to a considerable distance. See Collembola, and Podura.

Springy

Resembling, having the qualities of, or pertaining to, a spring; elastic; as, springy steel; a springy step.

Sprinkle

A small quantity scattered, or sparsely distributed; a sprinkling.

Sprinkling

The act of one who, or that which, sprinkles.

Sprint

The act of sprinting; a run of a short distance at full speed.

Sprinter

One who sprints; one who runs in sprint races; as, a champion sprinter.

Sprit

A small boom, pole, or spar, which crosses the sail of a boat diagonally from the mast to the upper aftmost corner, which it is used to extend and elevate.

Sprite

A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition. See Spright.

Spritsail

A sail extended by a sprit. A sail formerly hung under the bowsprit, from the spritsail yard.

Sprocket

A tooth or projection, as on the periphery of a wheel, shaped so as to engage with a chain. A sprocket wheel.

Sprod

A salmon in its second year.

Sprout

The shoot of a plant; a shoot from the seed, from the stump, or from the root or tuber, of a plant or tree; more rarely, a shoot from the stem of a plant, or the end of a branch.

Spruce

To dress one's self with affected neatness; as, to spruce up.

Sprue

Strictly, the hole through which melted metal is poured into the gate, and thence into the mold. The waste piece of metal cast in this hole; hence, dross.

Sprung

Said of a spar that has been cracked or strained.

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