Spur
/spɜːr/noun
A pointed device attached to a rider's heel to urge a horse forward, or something that stimulates action or development.
Did you know?The English word "spur" goes back to Proto-Germanic *spuron, and its relatives spread through Germanic languages as a word for a sharp projecting point—proof that language often turns physical force into metaphor.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spei-
“to thrust, prick, or point”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*spuron
“a sharp point or projecting prong”
Old English
OE
spura
“a spur for a horse”
Middle English
ME
spur
“a rider's heel-point for urging a horse”
Modern English
English
spur
“a pointed device for urging a horse; by extension, something that prompts action”