spurn

English

/spɚn/, /spɜːn/

verb
Definitions
  • (ambitransitive) To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn.
  • (transitive) To reject something by pushing it away with the foot.
  • (transitive) To waste; fail to make the most of (an opportunity)
  • (intransitive) To kick or toss up the heels.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English spurnen inherited from Old English spurnan (stumble, kick, strike against, reject, spurn) inherited from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną (kick, tread, knock out) derived from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (twist, scatter, strew, be quick, sow, twitch, turn, fidget, jump, flinch, push, be productive, earn), *sperH- (kick, trample).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*sperH-

Gloss

kick, trample

Concept
Semantic Field

Motion

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji
🛴 🦵 🦶

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms