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sprint

(sprĭnt)

1. The act or an instance of sprinting, especially a short race at top speed.

2. A burst of speed or activity.

v. sprint·ed, sprint·ing, sprints

v.intr.

To move rapidly or at top speed for a brief period, as in running or swimming.

v.tr.

To move over (a distance) rapidly or at top speed for a brief period: sprinted the last 100 yards to the finish line.

[Possibly alteration of Middle English sprenten, to spring up, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialectal sprinta and Old Norse spretta, to jump.]

sprinter n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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