Spark \Spark\, n. [OE. sparke, AS. spearca; akin to D. spark,
sperk; cf. Icel. spraka to crackle, Lith. sprag["e]ti, Gr. ?
a bursting with a noise, Skr. sph?rj to crackle, to thunder.
Cf. Speak.]
1. A small particle of fire or ignited substance which is
emitted by a body in combustion.
[1913 Webster]
Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
--Job v. 7.
[1913 Webster]
2. A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
[1913 Webster]
3. That which, like a spark, may be kindled into a flame, or
into action; a feeble germ; an elementary principle. "If
any spark of life be yet remaining." --Shak. "Small
intellectual spark." --Macaulay. "Vital spark of heavenly
flame." --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
We have here and there a little clear light, some
sparks of bright knowledge. --Locke.
[1913 Webster]
Bright gem instinct with music, vocal spark.
--Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
Spark arrester, a contrivance to prevent the escape of
sparks while it allows the passage of gas, -- chiefly used
in the smokestack of a wood-burning locomotive. Called
also spark consumer. [U.S.]
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Spark \Spark\, n. [Icel. sparkr lively, sprightly.]
1. A brisk, showy, gay man.
[1913 Webster]
The finest sparks and cleanest beaux. --Prior.
[1913 Webster]
2. A lover; a gallant; a beau.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Spark \Spark\, v. i.
1. To sparkle. [Obs.] --Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Elec.) To produce, or give off, sparks, as a dynamo at
the commutator when revolving under the collecting
brushes.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Spark \Spark\, v. i.
To play the spark, beau, or lover.
[1913 Webster]
A sure sign that his master was courting, or, as it is
termed, sparking, within. --W. Irwing.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
electric current \electric current\, electrical current
\electrical current\,
the movement of electrically charged particles, atoms, or
ions, through solids, liquids, gases, or free space; the term
is usually used of relatively smooth movements of electric
charge through conductors, whether constant or variable.
Sudden movements of charge are usually referred to by other
terms, such as spark or lightning or discharge. In
metallic conductors the electric current is usually due to
movement of electrons through the metal. The current is
measured as the rate of movement of charge per unit time, and
is counted in units of amperes. As a formal definition, the
direction of movement of electric current is considered as
the same as the direction of movement of positive charge, or
in a direction opposite to the movement of negative charge.
Electric current may move constantly in a single direction,
called direct current (abbreviated DC), or may move
alternately in one direction and then the opposite direction,
called alternating current (abbreviated AC).
[PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
spark
n 1: a momentary flash of light [syn: flicker, glint]
2: brightness and animation of countenance; "he had a sparkle
in his eye" [syn: sparkle, light]
3: electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric
field [syn: discharge, arc, electric arc, electric
discharge]
4: a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might
become stronger; "a spark of interest"; "a spark of
decency"
5: Scottish writer of satirical novels (born in 1918) [syn: Muriel
Spark, Dame Muriel Spark, Muriel Sarah Spark]
6: a small fragment of a burning substance thrown out by
burning material or by friction
v 1: put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate
the circuits" [syn: trip, actuate, trigger, activate,
set off, spark off, trigger off, touch off]
2: emit or produce sparks; "A high tension wire, brought down
by a storm, can continue to spark" [syn: sparkle]
WordNet (r) 2.0
217 Moby Thesaurus words for "spark":
AC arc, Beau Brummel, Poulsen arc, abettor, activate, actuate,
actuator, address, animate, animator, aperiodic discharge, arc,
arc column, arc discharge, atom, bake, be in heat, beau, begin,
blade, blaze, blink, blinking, blood, bloom, boil, boulevardier,
bring about, broil, brush discharge, bud, burn, cajoler, cast,
chase, choke, clotheshorse, coax, coaxer, combust, compel, cook,
coruscate, coruscation, court, coxcomb, dandy, dash, discharge,
disruptive discharge, dude, electric discharge, electric shock,
electric spark, electrify, electrodeless discharge, embryo,
encourager, energize, energizer, enkindle, esquire, excite,
exquisite, fashion plate, fine gentleman, fire, firefly, firer,
flame, flame up, flare, flare up, flicker, flush, follow, fop,
force, foster, fribble, fry, gadfly, gallant, galvanic shock,
galvanize, galvanizer, gasp, germ, gleam, glimmer, glimmering,
glint, glisk, glisten, glister, glitter, glittering, glow,
glow discharge, glowworm, hint, idea, ignite, impel, impeller,
incandesce, inducer, initiate, inspire, inspirer, inspirit,
intimation, iota, jack-a-dandy, jackanapes, kindle, lady-killer,
lay siege to, lick, light the fuse, look, macaroni, make suit to,
make up to, man-about-town, masher, motivate, move, move to action,
mover, moving spirit, nucleus, oscillatory discharge, pant, parch,
pay attention to, pay court to, persuader, pleader, precipitate,
prime mover, promote, prompter, propel, provoke, puppy, pursue,
radiate heat, roast, scald, scintilla, scintillate, scintillation,
scorch, seethe, serenade, set in motion, set off, shade, shadow,
shimmer, shimmer with heat, shimmering, shock, silent discharge,
simmer, sip, smack, smattering, smell, smolder, smother, soupcon,
spangle, spark gap, spark plug, sparker, sparkle, speck, sport,
sprinkling, squire, start up, steam, stew, stifle, stimulate,
stimulator, stroboscopic light, sue, suffocate, suggestion, sup,
suspicion, swain, sweat, sweetheart, swell, swelter, taste,
tempter, thought, tincture, tinge, tinsel, toast, touch, touch off,
trace, trigger, twinkle, twinkling, vestige, wheedler, whit, woo,
wooer
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
SPARK
An annotated subset of Ada supported by tools
supplied by Praxis Critical Systems (originally by PVL).
Home (http://www.sparkada.com).
(2001-07-12)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)
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