n.
- The act or an instance of sprinting, especially a short race at top speed.
- A burst of speed or activity.
v., sprint·ed, sprint·ing, sprints. v.intr.
To move rapidly or at top speed for a brief period, as in running or swimming.
v.tr.
To move over (a distance) rapidly or at top speed for a brief period: sprinted the last 100 yards to the finish line.
[Possibly alteration of Middle English sprenten, to spring up, of Scandinavian origin, akin to Swedish dialectal sprinta and Old Norse spretta, to jump.]
sprinter sprint'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
