n.
Pronunciation: ' spo ̇ n, ' spän
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French espandre to spread out, shed, scatter, spawn, from Latin expandere to expand
Date: 15th century
intransitive verb
1 : to deposit or fertilize spawn
2 : to produce young especially in large numbers
transitive verb
1 a : to produce or deposit (eggs) ― used of an aquatic animal b : to induce (fish) to spawn c : to plant with mushroom spawn
2 : BRING FORTH , GENERATE <the idea spawn ed controversy>
– spawn · er noun