I. spurt 1 /spɜːt $ spɜːrt/ BrE AmE verb
1 .
a) [intransitive] if liquid or flames spurt from something, they come out of it quickly and suddenly
spurt from/out of
Blood spurted from his nose.
Flames spurted through the roof.
b) [transitive] to send out liquid or flames quickly or suddenly:
It boiled over, spurting hot water everywhere.
2 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to suddenly start moving more quickly, especially for a short time:
He suddenly spurted ahead of the others.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ flow if liquid flows, it moves in a steady continuous stream:
Blood flowed from his hand.
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The river flows very quickly at this point.
▪ run to flow – used when saying that something flows in a particular direction:
Water was running down the walls of the room.
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Sweat ran off his nose.
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The river runs into the sea.
▪ come out to flow out of something:
You couldn't drink any of the water that came out of the tap.
▪ pour to flow in large quantities:
The rain poured down.
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Blood was pouring from a wound on his head.
▪ gush to flow out quickly in very large quantities:
Water was gushing out at more than 3000 gallons a minute.
▪ spurt to flow out suddenly with a lot of force:
Oil was spurting from a small hole in the pipe.
▪ trickle to flow slowly in drops or in a thin stream:
Clare felt sweat trickling down the back of her neck.
▪ leak to flow in or out through a small hole or crack, usually when this is not meant to happen:
Oil was leaking from the engine.
▪ ooze to flow from something very slowly – used about blood or a thick liquid:
Blood was oozing from the wound.
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Jam oozed out as she bit into the cake.
▪ drip to fall in drops:
Water dripped from the tap continuously.
▪ cascade to flow down the side of something in large amounts:
Water cascades down the hilllside.
II. spurt 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . when an amount of liquid or flame suddenly comes quickly out of something
spurt of
a sudden spurt of flame
in spurts
The water came out of the tap in short spurts (=a small amount at a time) .
2 . a short sudden increase of activity, effort, speed, or emotion
spurt of
In a sudden spurt of anger, Ellen slammed the door shut.
growth spurt (=when a child suddenly grows quickly)
in spurts
We weren’t consistent – we played in spurts.