different between scry vs spry

English

Alternative forms

• skry

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sk?a?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Etymology 1

From Middle English scrien, scryen, a shortened form of Middle English ascrien, from Old French escrier (“to cry out”). Influenced by Middle English descrien (“to descry”).

Verb

scry (third-person singular simple present scries, present participle scrying, simple past and past participle scried)

1. To predict the future using crystal balls or other objects.

   The fortune teller claimed she could scry [into] the future.

2. (obsolete) To descry; to see.

Translations

Derived terms

• scryer

Etymology 2

From Middle English ascry, ascrie, escrie, from Anglo-Norman ascri, from Old French escri.

Noun

scry (plural scries)

1. (obsolete) A cry or shout.
2. A flock of wildfowl.

Verb

scry (third-person singular simple present scries, present participle scrying, simple past and past participle scried)

1. (obsolete) To proclaim.

Anagrams

• Cyrs

English

Etymology

From British dialectal sprey, from Old Norse sprækr (“nimble, lively”) from Proto-Germanic *spr?kiz (“lively”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pereg- (“to strew, jerk, sprinkle, scatter”). Cognate with Icelandic sprækur (“lively, spry”), Norwegian sprek (“lively, healthy”), dialectal Swedish sprygg (“brisk, very active, skittish”). More at spark. Related to sprack, sprig, sprug, freckle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sp?a?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Adjective

spry (comparative sprier, superlative spriest)

1. Having great power of leaping or running; nimble; active.
2. Vigorous; lively; cheerful.
   • 1992, Robert Rankin, The Antipope (page 68)

     The Captain folded his brow into a look of intense perplexity. 'You seem exceedingly spry for a man who demolished an entire bottle of brandy and better part of an ounce of shag in a single evening.'
     'And very nice too,' said the tramp. 'Now as to breakfast?'

Translations

Anagrams

• Prys, syrp