different between spack vs spark

English

Etymology

Possibly a contraction of spastic (as a term of abuse).

Pronunciation

Noun

spack (plural spacks)

1. (Britain slang, derogatory) A clumsy, foolish, or mentally deficient person.

   Synonyms: spacko, spaz

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:spack.

Derived terms

• spack attack

Related terms

• spacko
• spacka
• spacker
• spaz
• spastic

Anagrams

• packs

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German spak (“thin, dry, brittle”) from spake (“brushwood”). Or from rare Middle Low German spak (“tame, calm”) from an unknown source.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pak/, [?pak?]
• Rhymes: -ak

Adjective

spack (comparative spacker, superlative am spacksten)

1. (regional, Northern Germany, usually of people) thin, scrawny (having an unusually low amount of both muscle and fat)
2. (regional, Northern Germany, of wood) dry, brittle

Declension

Related terms

• Spacken

Further reading

• “spack” in Duden online

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: spärk, IPA^(key): /sp??k/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: späk, IPA^(key): /sp??k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k
• Homophone: SPARC

Etymology 1

From Middle English sparke, sperke, from Old English spearca, from Proto-Germanic *sprakô (compare Dutch spark and sprank, Middle Low German sparke), from Proto-Indo-European *sperg- (“to strew, sprinkle”) (compare Breton erc’h (“snow”), Latin sparg? (“to scatter, spread”), sparsus (“scattered”), Lithuanian sprógti (“to germinate”), Ancient Greek ??????? (spargá?, “to swell”), Avestan ????????????????????????????????????????? (frasparega, “branch, twig”), Sanskrit ??????? (parjanya, “rain, rain god”)).

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

1. A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire.
2. A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
3. A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
4. (figuratively) A small amount of something, such as an idea or romantic affection, that has the potential to become something greater, just as a spark can start a fire.
   • , Book IV, Chapter XVII

     But though we have, here and there, a little of this clear light, some sparks of bright knowledge

   • 2013, Phil McNulty, "[1]", BBC Sport, 1 September 2013:

     Everton's Marouane Fellaini looks one certain arrival but Moyes, who also saw United held to a draw by Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday, needs even more of a spark in a midfield that looked laboured by this team's standards.

5. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the Indomalayan genus Sinthusa.
6. (in plural sparks but treated as a singular) A ship's radio operator.
7. (Britain, slang) An electrician.

Synonyms

• (small particle of glowing matter): ember, gnast, funk
• (small amount of something, such as an idea, that has the potential to become something greater): beginnings, germ, glimmer

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Esperanto: sparko

Translations

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

1. (transitive, figuratively) To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
2. (transitive) To light; to kindle.
   • 2009, Alex Jenson, The Serotonin Grand Prix (page 12)

     Byron sparked the cigarette. He sucked it dramatically and thrust it into Marko's hand.

3. (intransitive) To give off a spark or sparks.

Derived terms

• spark off
• sparkle

Translations

Etymology 2

Probably Scandinavian, akin to Old Norse sparkr (“sprightly”).

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

1. A gallant; a foppish young man.

   • The finest sparks and cleanest beaux.

   • Jones had no sooner quitted the room, than the petty-fogger, in a whispering tone, asked Mrs Whitefield, “If she knew who that fine spark was?”

2. A beau, lover.

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

1. (intransitive) To woo, court; to act the gallant or beau.

Synonyms

• make love, romance, solicit; see also Thesaurus:woo

Derived terms

• sparkish
• sparker

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

• K-spar, Karps, Parks, Praks, parks

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse spark, verbal noun to sparka (“to kick”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spark/, [sb?????]

Noun

spark n (singular definite sparket, plural indefinite spark)

1. kick

Inflection

Verb

spark

1. imperative of sparke

Faroese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spa??k/

Noun

spark n (genitive singular sparks, plural spørk)

1. kick

Declension

Derived terms

Icelandic

Etymology

From sparka (“to kick”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spar?k/
• Rhymes: -ar?k

Noun

spark n (genitive singular sparks, nominative plural spörk)

1. kick

Declension

Middle English

Noun

spark

1. Alternative form of sparke

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

spark n (definite singular sparket, indefinite plural spark, definite plural sparka or sparkene)

1. a kick (with a foot)

Derived terms

• brassespark
• frispark
• hjørnespark
• straffespark

Related terms

• sparke

Verb

spark

1. imperative of sparke

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

spark n (definite singular sparket, indefinite plural spark, definite plural sparka)

1. a kick (with a foot)

Derived terms

• brassespark
• frispark
• hjørnespark
• straffespark

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse spark, from sparka (“to kick”).

Noun

spark c

1. kick
2. kicksled; short for sparkstötting

Declension

Anagrams

• karps, parks, skarp