Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Lively, active, and brisk; vigorous.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Active, as in leaping or running; nimble; vigorous; lively.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective U.S. & Local Eng. Having great power of leaping or running; nimble; active.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Having great power of
leaping or running;nimble ; active.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective moving quickly and lightly
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I say, mam, ef you comes so late you can't have no vittles, – 'cause I'm 'bleeged fer ter git things ready fer de doctors' mazin 'spry arter you nusses and folks is done.
Hospital Sketches 1863
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Dan Hart, the man in charge of the group, is described as a spry
RGJ.com - Latest News Kelly Ann Scott 2010
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Oh lord, Lance, is this the cut off for geezer? am I going to have to start calling myself "spry" now?
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Oh lord – next he's going to start bragging about how "spry" he is
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If Senator McCain is so sensitive about his age then why are he and his surrogates constantly telling us how "spry" and "energetic" he is.
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Also ... why is it you only hear really really old people described as "spry"?
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I've been called "spry," because I've been willing to wage budget fights and otherwise shake up politics as usual in my state's capital city.
The Potomac Primary L. Douglas Wilder 2008
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For though this veteran more than doubled the years of the boy ranchers, he was almost as "spry" as any of them.
The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek or Fighting the Sheep Herders Willard F. Baker
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"Oh, my back, and oh, my bones!" murmured Aunt Alvirah Boggs, who was not long out of a sick bed herself and would never again be as "spry" as she once had been.
Ruth Fielding Down East Or, The Hermit of Beach Plum Point Alice B. Emerson
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The latter, at a wooding station, thinking that the man was not sufficiently "spry," administered a palthogue, which not meeting the approbation of the Mejicano, that worthy immediately drew his knife and challenged the aggressor.
kewpid commented on the word spry
Useful for implying that someone is old without actually saying it.
June 16, 2008
bilby commented on the word spry
Ha, good point kewpid.
June 16, 2008