SPAWN

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French espandre to spread out, shed, scatter, ~, from Latin expandere to expand Date: 15th century intransitive verb to deposit or fertilize ~, to produce young especially in large numbers, transitive verb 1. to produce or deposit (eggs), to induce (fish) to ~, to plant with mushroom ~, bring forth , generate , ~er noun II. noun Date: 15th century the eggs of aquatic animals (as fishes or oysters) that lay many small eggs, product , offspring , the seed, germ, or source of something, mycelium especially prepared (as in bricks) for propagating mushrooms