spurt
spurt — verb
- spurtpresent simple I / you / we / they
- spurtshe / she / it
- spurtedpast simple
- spurting-ing form
1. When a liquid, gas, or flame comes out of something with sudden force through a
When a liquid, gas, or flame comes out of something with sudden force through a narrow opening — like water bursting from a broken pipe, or blood shooting from a deep cut. It can also be used transitively to describe making this happen.
Theo cut his finger while chopping vegetables, and blood spurted onto the kitchen counter.
intransitive: spurt + preposition/adverb (onto)
A pipe burst in the basement and water spurted from the crack with great force.
Rachid opened the soda can too quickly, and fizz spurted all over his shirt.
When the nurse removed the needle, a drop of blood spurted from the injection site.
文法句型
spurt (out/forth) from [opening/cut]
spurt [liquid] + adverbial
spurt + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with a directional adverb or preposition (out, forth, from, onto) to indicate where the liquid goes. The transitive form is less common — you typically say 'blood spurted out' rather than 'he spurted blood.'
常見錯誤
❌ 'Water spurted out from the pipe' uses 'spurt' correctly for liquid. Don't confuse with 'squirt' — 'squirt' implies a smaller, more controlled stream from a container like a bottle or syringe.
2. to rise or climb very quickly and suddenly in level, amount, or intensity — ofte
to rise or climb very quickly and suddenly in level, amount, or intensity — often used for numbers like prices, sales, or a runner's speed at the end of a race.
Nora's heart rate spurted when she heard a strange noise outside her bedroom window.
spurt (of rate/level) — sudden physiological increase
After three slow years, the company's profits suddenly spurted by nearly thirty percent.
spurt by [percentage] — common pattern in business contexts
Sales of electric cars have spurted in recent months as fuel prices continue to rise.
Inflation spurted to over six percent last quarter, catching many economists by surprise.
文法句型
spurt + adverbial (amount/percentage)
spurt to [number]
spurt by [amount]
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive. The amount of increase is typically given after the verb with 'by' (spurted by 20%) or 'to' (spurted to $5 million). Common subjects: sales, profits, prices, heart rate, speed, growth.
常見錯誤
spurt — noun
- spurtsingular
- spurtsplural
1. a short, intense period during which you do something with much more effort, spe
a short, intense period during which you do something with much more effort, speed, or energy than usual, especially in sports, work, or study
In a final spurt of energy, the marathon runner passed three competitors near the finish line.
'spurt of [energy/effort]' — common noun collocation
Liang cleaned the whole apartment in one short spurt before Liang's parents arrived.
The team put on a late spurt and scored two goals in the final ten minutes of the match.
Amira prefers to work in short spurts throughout the day with breaks in between each session.
The puppy had a sudden spurt of energy and ran around the garden for several minutes.
- lull
a quiet period with little activity, the opposite of a sudden burst
文法句型
spurt of [energy / speed / activity / effort]
in a / one spurt
a spurt of [noun]
用法筆記
Common in the pattern 'a spurt of + noun' where the noun describes the thing that briefly increases (energy, speed, growth, activity, effort). Also used in 'in spurts' to describe an on-again, off-again pattern.
常見錯誤
2. a brief, forceful burst of liquid, gas, or steam that is pushed out through a sm
a brief, forceful burst of liquid, gas, or steam that is pushed out through a small opening, usually with noticeable pressure behind it
A sudden spurt of water shot up from the broken sprinkler head in the garden.
'spurt of [liquid]' — standard noun pattern
Tariq wiped away a spurt of oil that had sprayed from the engine while he was fixing the car.
Felipe felt a warm spurt of blood on his fingers after he pulled the splinter out of his palm.
A spurt of hot steam escaped from the kettle when Brian lifted the lid a little too soon.
- trickle
a slow, thin flow of liquid, the opposite of a sudden forceful spurt
文法句型
spurt of [liquid]
spurt from [source]
用法筆記
Unlike noun sense 1 (BURST OF ACTIVITY), this sense always involves a physical substance — liquid, gas, or steam. It is often preceded by 'a spurt of' + the substance. The spurt is usually brief and forceful.