spark

View more Technology videos

A transient form of gaseous conduction. This type of discharge is difficult to define, and no universally accepted definition exists. It can perhaps best be thought of as the transition between two more or less stable forms of gaseous conduction. For example, the transitional breakdown which occurs in the transition from a glow to an arc discharge may be thought of as a spark. See also Electrical conduction in gases.

Electric sparks play an important part in many physical effects. Usually these are harmful and undesirable effects, ranging from the gradual destruction of contacts in a conventional electrical switch to the large-scale havoc resulting from lightning discharges. Sometimes, however, the spark may be very useful. Examples are its function in the ignition system of an automobile, its use as an intense short-duration illumination source in high-speed photography, and its use as a source of excitation in spectroscopy. In the second case the spark may actually perform the function of the camera shutter, because its extinction renders the camera insensitive. See also Spectroscopy; Stroboscopic photography.

---

noun

1. A sudden quick light: blink, coruscation, flash, flicker, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, twinkle, wink. See light/darkness.
2. A source of further growth and development: bud¹, embryo, germ, kernel, nucleus, seed. See start/end.

spark²

verb

To attempt to gain the affection of: court, pursue, woo. Informal romance. See seek/avoid, sex/asexual.

v

Definition: start, inspire
Antonyms: cease, halt, stop

n. also Spark or Sparks informal used in the armed forces as a nickname for a radio operator or an electrician.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Momentary discharge of electrical energy due to ionization of air or other dialectric material separating two charges.

IN BRIEF: A small bit of burning matter. Also: The flash that takes place when an electric current jumps across an open space.

Each of us has a spark of life inside us, and our highest endeavor ought to be to set off that spark in one another. — Kenny Ausubel

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: One modified X-hand begins at the tip of the extended index finger and opens up in a flicking motion as it moves away.

---

For a list of words related to spark, see:

• Electricity and Electronics - spark: instantaneous appearance of light and sound in electrostatic discharge of very short duration
• Flirtation, Dating, and Courting - spark: (vb) Informal. court or woo
• Intuition and Imagination - spark: something that ignites one’s imagination or thoughts

---

  See crossword solutions for the clue Spark.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - gnist
v. intr. - gnistre, tænde
v. tr. - opildne, sætte i brand

idioms:

• spark off    sætte i gang
• spark plug    tændrør
• sparking plug    tændrør
• sparks fly    gnisterne flyver om ørerne

2.
n. - frisk fyr, spradebasse
v. intr. - gøre kur

Nederlands (Dutch)
vonk, sprank, vonken

Français (French)
1.
n. - (gén, Élec) étincelle, (fig) éclair, lueur (d'intelligence)
v. intr. - jeter des étincelles, faire des étincelles
v. tr. - susciter, provoquer, déclencher, entraîner, lancer (un mouvement)

idioms:

• spark off    susciter, provoquer, être à l'origine de, déclencher, entraîner, lancer (un mouvement)
• spark out    jaillir
• spark plug    (Élec, Aut) bougie
• sparking plug    (Élec, Aut) bougie
• sparks fly    faire des étincelles

2.
n. - personne pleine d'entrain, joyeux luron
v. intr. - être à l'origine de (une amitié, une liaison)

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Funke, Zündfunke
v. - funken, Funken sprühen

idioms:

• spark off    auslösen
• spark out    (BrE) (inf) total unbewusst
• spark plug    Zündkerze
• sparking plug    Zündkerze
• sparks fly    Funken fliegen

2.
n. - Stutzer, Galan
v. - den Hof machen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σπινθήρας, σπίθα, αναλαμπή, (μτφ.) ευφυϊα, σπιρτάδα, ζωντάνια, σφρίγος, λεβέντης, λεβεντόπαιδο, (πληθ.) (καθομ.) ασυρματιστής, ηλεκτρολόγος, ηλεκτροτεχνίτης (θεάτρου κ.λπ.)
v. - σπινθηρίζω, σπιθοβολώ

idioms:

• spark off    δίνω το έναυσμα, πυροδοτώ
• spark plug    (ηλεκτρ.) αναφλεκτήρας (κν. μπουζί)
• sparking plug    (ηλεκτρ.) αναφλεκτήρας (κν. μπουζί)
• sparks fly    δημιουργείται κατάσταση

Italiano (Italian)
scintillare, scintilla, barlume

idioms:

• spark off    scatenare
• spark/sparking plug    candela d'accensione
• sparks fly    fare scintille

Português (Portuguese)
n. - faísca (f), sinal de vida (m), brilho (m)
v. - inflamar, animar, faiscar

idioms:

• spark off    iniciar um processo por meio de uma faísca
• spark/sparking plug    isqueiro, vela de ignição
• sparks fly    atração física

Русский (Russian)
искра, проблеск, след, мелкий алмаз, щеголь, волокита, искриться, давать вспышку, воодушевлять, вызвать, щеголять, рисоваться, ухаживать

idioms:

• spark off    стать причиной (чего-л.)
• spark/sparking plug    свеча зажигания
• sparks fly    (разговор) на повышенных тонах

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - chispa, chispazo, destello
v. intr. - chispear, pavonearse, centellar, echar chispas
v. tr. - pavonearse

idioms:

• spark off    provocar, causar
• spark out    completamente inconsciente
• spark plug    bujía
• sparking plug    bujía
• sparks fly    echar chispas, armarse la gorda

2.
n. - persona de genio vivo, galán
v. intr. - galantear

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gnista, gnistapa, sprätt, snobb, en glad lax
v. - tända, utlösa, sätta igång

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 火花, 闪光, 火星, 发出火花, 闪耀, 飞出火星, 热烈赞同, 发动, 激励, 点燃, 鼓舞

idioms:

• spark off    导致
• spark plug    火星塞, 倡导者, 领导人物, 中坚分子
• sparking plug    火花塞
• sparks fly    激烈争吵

2. 翩翩少年, 情郎, 花花公子, 求婚者, 向...求婚, 向...求爱, 求婚, 求爱

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 翩翩少年, 情郎, 花花公子, 求婚者
v. tr. - 向...求婚, 向...求愛
v. intr. - 求婚, 求愛

2.
n. - 火花, 閃光, 火星
v. intr. - 發出火花, 閃耀, 閃光, 飛出火星, 熱烈贊同
v. tr. - 發動, 激勵, 點燃, 鼓舞

idioms:

• spark off    導致
• spark plug    火星塞, 倡導者, 領導人物, 中堅分子
• sparking plug    火星塞
• sparks fly    激烈爭吵

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 불꽃, 무선 전신 기사, (재치 따위의) 번득임
v. intr. - 불꽃이 튀다, 즉각 반응하다, 스파크하다
v. tr. - 발화 시키다, 자극하다, ~에게 행동하게 하다

idioms:

• spark off    ~의 발단이 되다, ~을 유발하다

2.
n. - 화려한 젊은이, 애인, 구혼자
v. intr. - 구애하다, ~을 설득하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 火花, 電気火花, スパーク, ひらめき, 生気, わずか, だて男
v. - 火花を出す, スパークする, かき立てる, 火をつける

idioms:

• spark off    火をつける
• spark plug    点火プラグ, 指導者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ذرة, جرثومه, جوهرة صغيرة, ومضه, شرارة, فتى شديد ألتأنق (فعل) يغازل, يستجيب بحماسه, يرسل أو يحدث شررا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ניצוץ, רשף, גץ, זיק, שביב, שמץ‬
v. intr. - ‮פלט ניצוצות, הצית‬
v. tr. - ‮עורר, דרבן‬
n. - ‮צעיר עליז‬
v. intr. - ‮חיזר אחרי‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.