/ sprɪnt; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
to run or swim a short distance very fast :
[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ]
He sprinted for the line.
Three runners sprinted past.
She jumped out of the car and sprinted for the front door.
[ vn ]
I sprinted the last few metres.
■ noun
1.
a race in which the people taking part run, swim, etc. very fast over a short distance :
a 100-metre sprint
the world sprint champion
2.
[ usually sing. ] a short period of running, swimming, etc. very fast :
a sprint for the line
a sprint for the bus
She won in a sprint finish.
► sprint·er noun
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent. (as a dialect term meaning a bound or spring ): related to Swedish spritta .