spur

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
spur/spɜː(r)/

▶noun

• 1 a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel, worn on a rider's heel for urging a horse forward.

• 2 an incentive.

• 3 a projection from a mountain or mountain range.

  ■ Botany a slender tubular projection from the base of a flower, e.g. an orchid, typically containing nectar.

  ■ a short fruit-bearing side shoot.

  ■ a horny spike on the back of the leg of a cock or male game bird.

• 4 a short branch road or railway line.

• 5 a small support for ceramic ware in a kiln.

▶verb (spurs, spurring, spurred)

• 1 urge (a horse) forward with spurs.

• 2 (often spur someone on) encourage; give an incentive to.

• 3 prune in (a side shoot) so as to form a spur close to the stem.

– phrases
on the spur of the moment on a momentary impulse.

– derivatives
spurless adjective,
spurred adjective.

– origin OE spora, spura, of Gmc origin; rel. to spurn.