March 21, 2012
sprint (verb)
\SPRINT\ Hear it!
What does it mean?
: to run at top speed especially for a short distance
How do you use it?
Sophie usually dawdles in the morning, so she often needs to sprint in order to catch up to the school bus.
Are you a word wiz?

Which one of these language groups do you think produced the word "sprint?"

"Sprint" is of Scandinavian origin and is akin to the Swedish dialect word "sprinta," which means "to jump or hop." "Boulder," referring to a large detached mass of rock, shows kinship to another Swedish dialect word, "bullersten," while the flying mammal we call a "bat" along with the part known as its "wing" also have Scandinavian roots. Other English words showing Norse influence include "gill," the organ that allows fish and other creatures to obtain oxygen from water, and "skull," the bony part of the head.
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