different between spawn vs proliferate

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sp??n/
• Rhymes: -??n

Etymology 1

Recorded since 1413; from Middle English spawnen, from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Old French espandre, from Latin expandere (“stretch out; spread out”, verb). Doublet of expand. Compare also Middle English spalden, spolden, spawden (“to cut open (a fish)”).

Verb

spawn (third-person singular simple present spawns, present participle spawning, simple past and past participle spawned)

1. (transitive) To produce or deposit (eggs) in water.
2. (transitive) To generate, bring into being, especially non-mammalian beings in very large numbers.
3. (transitive) To bring forth in general.

   The Web server spawns a new process to handle each client's request.

4. (transitive) To induce (aquatic organisms) to spawn.
5. (transitive) To plant with fungal spawn.
6. (intransitive) To deposit (numerous) eggs in water.
7. (intransitive) To reproduce, especially in large numbers.
8. (ergative, video games, of a character or object) (To cause) to appear spontaneously in a game at a certain point and time.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English spawne, from the verb (see above).

Noun

spawn (plural spawn or spawns)

1. The numerous eggs of an aquatic organism.
2. Mushroom mycelium prepared for (aided) propagation.
3. (by extension, sometimes derogatory) Any germ or seed, even a figurative source; offspring.
4. (horticulture) The buds or branches produced from underground stems.
5. (video games) The location in a game where characters or objects spontaneously appear.

Derived terms

• hellspawn

Translations

Anagrams

• WPANs, pawns

English

Etymology

From Latin proles (“offspring”) + ferre (“to bear”) + -ate.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???l?f.??.e?t/

Verb

proliferate (third-person singular simple present proliferates, present participle proliferating, simple past and past participle proliferated)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To increase in number or spread rapidly; to multiply.

   The flowers proliferated rapidly all spring.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• proliferate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• proliferate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Italian

Verb

proliferate

1. inflection of proliferare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative
2. feminine plural of proliferato

Anagrams

• petrolifera