Sprig SPRIG, n.
1. A small shoot or twig of a tree or other plant; a spray; as a sprig of laurel or of parsely.
2. A brad, or nail without a head. [Local.]
3. The representation of a small branch in embroidery.
4. A small eye-bolt ragged at the point.
SPRIG, v.t. To mark or adorn with the representation of small branches; to work with sprigs; as, to sprig muslin.

sprig n 1: a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year [syn: branchlet, twig, sprig] 2: an ornament that resembles a spray of leaves or flowers

sprig I. noun Etymology: Middle English sprigge Date: 14th century 1. a. a small shoot ; twig <a sprig of parsley> b. a small division of grass used for propagation 2. a. heir b. youth c. a small specimen 3. an ornament resembling a sprig, stemmed flower, or leaf 4. a small headless nail ; brad II. transitive verb (sprigged; sprigging) Date: 1713 1. to drive sprigs or brads into 2. to mark or adorn with the representation of plant sprigs 3. to propagate (a grass) by means of stolons or small divisions

sprig
1.
n. & v.
--n.
1 a small branch or shoot.
2 an ornament resembling this, esp. on fabric.
3 usu. derog. a youth or young man (a sprig of the nobility).
--v.tr. (sprigged, sprigging)
1 ornament with sprigs (a dress of sprigged muslin).
2 (usu. as sprigging n.) decorate (ceramic ware) with ornaments in applied relief.
Derivatives:
spriggy adj.
Etymology: ME f. or rel. to LG sprick
2.
n. a small tapering headless tack.
Etymology: ME: orig. unkn.

sprig (sprigs) A sprig is a small stem with leaves on it which has been picked from a bush or plant, especially so that it can be used in cooking or as a decoration. N-COUNT: usu N of n

SPRIG was my What's The Word? choice for Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008

Sprig \Sprig\, n. [AS. sprec; akin to Icel. sprek a stick. Cf. Spray a branch.] 1. A small shoot or twig of a tree or other plant; a spray; as, a sprig of laurel or of parsley. 2. A youth; a lad; -- used humorously or in slight disparagement. A sprig whom I remember, with a whey-face and a satchel, not so many years ago. --Sir W. Scott. 3. A brad, or nail without a head. 4. (Naut.) A small eyebolt ragged or barbed at the point.

Sprig \Sprig\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sprigged; p. pr. & vb. n. Sprigging.] To mark or adorn with the representation of small branches; to work with sprigs; as, to sprig muslin.

Sprigtail \Sprig"tail`\, n. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The pintail duck; -- called also sprig, and spreet-tail. [Local, U.S.] (b) The sharp-tailed grouse. [Local, U.S.]

sprig n. 1. Twig, shoot, spray. 2. Youth, lad.

68 Moby Thesaurus words for "sprig": adolescent, appendage, arm, baby, bine, bough, branch, branchedness, branchiness, burgeon, deadwood, flagellum, fledgling, fork, frond, hand, hopeful, imp, infant, joint, junior, juvenal, juvenile, leg, limb, link, lobe, lobule, member, minor, offshoot, organ, pinion, pubescent, ramage, ramification, runner, sapling, sarment, scion, seedling, set, shoot, slip, spear, spray, sprit, sprout, spur, stolon, stripling, sucker, switch, tail, teenager, teener, teenybopper, tendril, thallus, twig, wing, young hopeful, young person, younger, youngest, youngling, youngster, youth

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