A Spur Is a Goad, a Ridge and a Branch Line
A spur is a device worn on a rider's heel. The word names anything that projects or prompts.
A spur is a spiked device on a rider's heel for urging a horse on, and by extension anything that prompts action or projects outward. The phrase *to win your spurs* is literal: a knight was given spurs at the moment of knighthood, and a disgraced knight had them struck off with a cook's cleaver. Gilt spurs marked a knight, silver a squire. A geographical spur is a ridge projecting from a hill, and a railway spur a short branch line.
- A rider's goad. *Digging in his spurs.*
- A prompt. *A spur to action.*
- A ridge. *A mountain spur.*
- A branch line. *A rail spur.*
- Old English — *spura*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | spur | A spur. |
| Verb | spur | Spurring. |
| Past | spurred | Spurred. |
| Phrase | on the spur | On the spur of the moment. |
| Old English | spura | A spur. |
- He spurred the horse on.Riding.
- A spur to greater effort.Prompt.
- A railway spur.Branch.
Winning your spurs
- Gilt spurs marked a knight, silver a squire
- They were buckled on during the knighting ceremony
- To win your spurs meant to earn knighthood
- Degradation involved striking the spurs off with a cleaver
- The phrase now means proving yourself in any field
Old English *spura*, of Germanic origin, related to *spurn*, to kick.
Where does winning your spurs come from?
From knighthood. Spurs were buckled on at the ceremony, and a disgraced knight had them struck off.
What is a railway spur?
A short branch line leaving a main route, named for the way it projects outward.