spur
spur — noun
1. a small metal wheel with sharp points, worn on the heel of a riding boot and pre
a small metal wheel with sharp points, worn on the heel of a riding boot and pressed into a horse's side to tell it to go faster.
Jisoo fastened the silver spur onto her boot before the morning trail ride.
collocation: fasten a spur
The museum display case held a rusty spur from the nineteenth century.
Hamza pressed his spur gently into the mare's side, and she moved forward at once.
Putri bought a pair of spurs at the equestrian shop for her first horse show.
2. a narrow ridge of rock or soil that runs outward from the main body of a mountai
a narrow ridge of rock or soil that runs outward from the main body of a mountain.
The hiking trail followed a rocky spur that offered views of the valley below.
geographical feature: spur of a mountain
From the cabin, the family could see a wooded spur running to the river.
Élise took a photo of the narrow spur jutting from the eastern hillside.
The old village sat on a spur, with rice fields sloping down on three sides.
- ridge
a ridge is a long, narrow top of connected high ground; a spur is specifically a side projection from a larger mountain or hill
用法筆記
Common in geographical descriptions and hiking trail guides. Often preceded by a descriptive adjective (rocky, wooded, narrow, broad).
3. something that gives you a reason or motivation to act with more energy, speed,
something that gives you a reason or motivation to act with more energy, speed, or determination.
A promised bonus was a spur for the team to finish the project early.
pattern: a spur for + noun phrase
A critic's good review can be a spur for a young writer to improve.
Reema took the criticism as a spur to improve her performance at work.
The coach's words acted as a spur for the tired runners in the final lap.
- incentive
more formal, often refers to a concrete reward or benefit offered to encourage action
- motivation
broader in scope, can refer to internal or external reasons for acting
- stimulus
more technical or formal, often used in economics or psychology
- discouragement
something that reduces someone's confidence or willingness to act
文法句型
a spur to + noun
a spur for + noun
a spur to + infinitive
用法筆記
Often paired with 'as' (acted as a spur, served as a spur). Typically used in singular form. The object of 'for' or 'to' is usually the person or group being encouraged.
常見錯誤
4. a short road or railway line that connects to a bigger, busier route and serves
a short road or railway line that connects to a bigger, busier route and serves a local area or facility.
A narrow railway spur carried goods from the factory to the main line.
collocation: railway spur
The truck turned onto a dirt spur that led to the warehouse district outside town.
City planners approved a new road spur to ease congestion near the shopping centre.
The old railway spur had been abandoned and was now completely overgrown with weeds.
- branch line
synonymous for railways, though 'branch line' may be longer and serve multiple stops
- side road
used for roads, but less specific — a side road does not necessarily connect to a main route
用法筆記
Common in transport planning, logistics, and civil engineering contexts. 'Railway spur' and 'road spur' are the two most frequent compound forms.
spur — verb
1. to encourage someone to do something, or to cause something to develop or happen
to encourage someone to do something, or to cause something to develop or happen faster — for example, a deadline spurring a team to finish a project, or new evidence spurring a police investigation.
The manager's promise of a bonus spurred the sales team to exceed their targets.
pattern: spur + person + to + infinitive
A series of earthquakes spurred the city to update its building safety rules.
The documentary about ocean pollution spurred Harper to join a clean-up group at the beach.
Rising energy costs have spurred many companies to invest in solar power for their factories.
Adisa was spurred by his mentor's advice to apply for the scholarship program.
- motivate
broader, can refer to internal or external reasons; less urgent than spur
- prompt
suggests a direct cause-effect relationship; slightly less forceful
- stimulate
more formal; often used for economic or intellectual activity
- drive
can be stronger, often implies internal determination rather than external cause
- discourage
to make someone less willing to do something
- deter
to prevent someone from taking action through fear or doubt
文法句型
spur + person + to + infinitive
spur + person + on
be spurred by + noun
用法筆記
Very frequently used in the passive voice (be spurred by). The object can be a person, group, or organization. When the stimulus is another event or fact, it often appears in news and business writing.
常見錯誤
2. to press your heels with spurs into a horse's sides so that it begins to run or
to press your heels with spurs into a horse's sides so that it begins to run or runs faster.
Aaron spurred his horse and raced across the open field toward the fence.
spur + horse + direction phrase
Nkechi gently spurred her pony to keep up with the other riders on the trail.
The cowboy spurred his horse forward the moment the gate swung open.
Eli refused to spur the tired horse and let it rest by the stream.
文法句型
spur + horse + adverb/direction
spur + horse + on
用法筆記
This literal equestrian sense is less common in everyday conversation than the figurative sense (verb sense 1). Often carries a directional adverb (forward, on) or a direction phrase.