Forms: α. 1 spærca, spearca, 3–7 sparke (4 spearke), 6 sparcke; 3 spærc, 3–4 sparc, 4– spark (5 Sc. sprak, 6 sparck). β. 3–5 sperke, 5, 9 Sc. sperk. [OE. spærca, spearca, = MDu. sparke, spaerke (WFlem. sparke, sperke), MLG. and LG. sparke, of obscure origin and not represented in the other Teutonic languages. With most of the senses compare those of SPARKLE sb.]
1. A small particle of fire, an ignited fleck or fragment, thrown off from a burning body or remaining in one almost extinguished, or produced by the impact of one hard body on another.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), S 192. Scintella, spærca.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 25 Aug., 152. Þa eaʓan wæron swylce fyren iren, ond him sprungon spearcan of þam muðe.
c. 1055. Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia, VIII. 320. Hyt beoð spearcan of þam rodere þurh þæs windes blæs.
a. 1225. Juliana (Royal MS.), 68. An engel … iþat ferliche fur amidden riht lihte, ant hit cwenchte anan, euer euch sperke [Bodl. MS. sparke].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25756. Na mar þan a sparc in see, Mai sin agains his merci be.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 2079. As fire ys wont to quyk and goo From a sparke.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 629. Thai hewit on hard steil … Quhil the spalis and the sparkis spedely out sprang.
1570. Levins, Manip., 81. A sperke, scintilla.
1596. Drayton, Legends, ii. 545. A little sparke extinguish’d to the Eye, That glowes againe e’r suddenly it dye.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 814. As when a spark Lights on a heap of nitrous Powder.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 83. Spirits of wine will flame with a candle, but not with a spark.
1836–41. Brande, Chem. (ed. 5), 230. If we apply a spark to a small heap of gunpowder, it is instantly dissipated in the gaseous form.
1888. F. Hume, Mme. Midas, I. v. Every blow of the pick sent forth showers of sparks in all directions.
b. With of (fire, etc.).
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 7732. He fferd, as he scholde men haue brent With spark of fire that fro him glent.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., 48. A ruby … That, as a sperk of lowe,… Semyt birnyng vpon hir quhyte throte.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Job xli. 10. Out of his mouth go lampes, and sparkes of fyre leape out.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., II. iv. 73. My drops of teares Ile turne to sparkes of fire.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. vii. The smallest spark of fire … would kindle the whole.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xxiv. (1842), 638. A splinter of wood, with a spark of fire at the extremity.
c. In similes or comparisons.
c. 1205. Lay., 21482. Cador sprong to horse swa spærc him doh of fure.
c. 1300. Havelok, 91. Of knith ne hauede he neuere drede, Þat he ne sprong forth so sparke of glede.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sir Thopas, 194. Forþ vppon his way [he] glode As sparke out of þe bronde.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 258. Bot such conseil ther mai be non,… That it nys lich the Sparke fyred Up in the Rof.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. xlii. 22. O how amiable are all his workes, & as a sparke to loke vpon?
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1637), 199. His kingdome was not an everlasting kingdome, but a momentary kingdome, like a sparke which riseth from the fire, and falleth into the fire againe.
1611. Bible, Job v. 7. Yet man is borne vnto trouble, as the sparkes flie vpward.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xiii. The grace of God still lived as a faint spark, not wholly quenched, under the whitening embers of his life.
d. fig. and in fig. context; freq. with allusion to the beginning or immediate cause of a fire or conflagration.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., V. § 3. Of ðæm lytlan spearcan þe þu mid ðære tyndran ʓefenge, lifes leoht þe onlyhte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 296. Ȝif hit out stureð þe, cwench hit mid teares of watere,… þeo hwule þet hit nis buten a sperke.
1340. Ayenb., 137. Huet am ich bote esssse, and spearken, and hor, and stench.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., III. (1520), 20/2. The power of god to the whiche power all other ben but a sperke and dust.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 134 b. For Sathan can rayse up a great flamme through Gods permission, of a verey small sparke.
1609. in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 87. That Illustrious Sparke of Honor and Vertue, Sir Robert Sherley.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, IV. § 13. 391. Yet were … the sparkes of that fire so blowne up, as dazled the eyes of the Papists.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VI. 302. Hereat, that King who was a spark in Himself, was enflamed to that designe by this Prelates perswasion.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), II. 134. The smallest spark may here kindle into the greatest flame.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 148. Their want of light and intellect supplied By sparks absurdity strikes out of pride.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil, VI. ix. III. 247. Left alone they might have remained quiet; but they only wanted the spark.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. x. 600. To put them in a state where, the train being laid, the slightest spark sufficed to kindle a conflagration.
e. A spark in one’s throat (see quot. 1785). slang.
1721. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 334. The Smith has ay a Spark in his Haise [= halse]. And they often take pains to quench it.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., s.v., A man that is always thirsty, is said to have a spark in his throat.
1820. J. Hodgson, in J. Raine, Mem. (1857), I. 292. He has a spark in his throat which often requires to be cooled.
1842. Tennyson, Will Waterproof, 109. She lit the spark within my throat, To make my blood run quicker.
2. A small trace, indication or portion of some quality, feeling, sentiment, etc., in some way comparable to a spark, esp. in respect of its latent possibilities.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxv. § 5. Sum spearca … soðfæstnesse. Ibid., xxxviii. § 7. ʓif ða scyldʓan æniʓne spearcan wisdomes hæfden.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxx. 11. Ane spark of thy hie excellent prudence Giff ws.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 388. Not a sparcke so much of Reason, example, or proofe.
1601. J. Wheeler, Treat. Comm., 101. For the which they neuer shewed any sparke of thankfulnesse.
1697. J. Potter, Antiq. Greece, I. x. (1715), 58. All Sparks of Generosity and Man-hood.
a. 1770. Jortin, Serm. (1771), I. iii. 41. Whilst any spark of spiritual life remains.
1775. Sheridan, Duenna, II. iii. If any sparks of anger had remained.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 110. They still kept alive the sparks of future friendship.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1877), II. vii. 22. The King who reigned without a spark of English feeling.
b. A small remnant, fragment, piece, atom, or amount, of something.
1548. Elyot, s.v. Scintilla, That no sparke of that moste cruell warre be lefte.
a. 1568. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club), 344. He het the milk our hett, And sorrow spark of it wald yyrne.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 150 b. It is neither the cause it selfe, nor any sparcke of the cause.
1638. R. Baker, trans. Balzac’s Lett. (vol. III.), 9. From whom in fifteene days I have received but one small sparke of a letter.
c. A speck or spot upon a ground or in a substance of a different color.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., 158. Though it seem to be a white marble fill’d with black sparks.
1873. E. Spon, Workshop Rec., Ser. I. 401/2. To make the ink fly off in sparks over the edges of the book.
3. The vital or animating principle in man; a trace of life or vitality. Freq. in vital spark, spark of life.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Sam. xiv. 7. Thei sechen to quench my spark that is laft.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 495. Go away fro me, womman, ffor yit þer is a sparke of lyfe in me.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., II. v. 17. O speak, if any sparke of life remaine.
1700. Rowe, Amb. Step-Moth., I. i. 218. From whose bright Beings Those active Sparks were struck which move our Clay.
1712. Pope, Dying Chr., 1. Vital spark of heav’nly flame!
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxix. She lay so long insensible that Emily began to fear that the spark of life was extinguished.
1817. Gentl. Mag., Aug., 174/1. The vital spark was extinct before the body was picked up.
a. 1892. Tennyson, God & the Universe, i. Will my tiny spark of being wholly vanish in your deeps and heights?
4. a. A small diamond († or other precious stone). Originally diamond (or ruby) spark and spark of diamond, etc.
(a) 1508. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 24. Hevinly beriall droppis,… birnyng as ruby sperkis.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 111. With Rubie sparkis ane greit number to se.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., III. 85. Being the goodliest plot, the Diamond sparke, and the Honny spot of all Candy.
1701. Lond. Gaz., No. 3718/4. A Gold Twisted Tooth Pick Case set with Diamond Sparks.
1748. Smollett, R. Random, lix. A ring set with a ruby … surrounded by diamond sparks.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, I. xxi. Ingot of gold and diamond spark.
1869. Tennyson, Passing Arth., 224. For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks.
(b) 1551. Sir J. Williams, Accompte (Abbotsf. Club), 50. Balaces, small sparkes of emeraldes, and small course perles.
1577. in Nichols, Progr. Q. Eliz. (1788), II. 14. Item,… XVI small rubyes being but sparcks, and V sparcks of dyamonds.
1629. Massinger, Picture, II. ii. (1630), F. Good Madam what shall he doe with a hoop ring, And a sparke of diamond in it?
a. 1694. Tillotson, Serm., ccxiii. (1757), XI. 79. The little and short sayings of wise and excellent men are of great value, like the dust of gold, or the least sparks of diamond.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 275. The Florentine work … consists of sparks of gems and small pieces of the finest marble.
a. 1774. Goldsm., Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776), I. 379. As for those things that cannot be thus weighed, such as quicksilver, small sparks of diamond, and such like.
(c) 1599. George a Greene, I. iv. A chaplet … Set with choice rubies, sparkes, and diamonds.
1614. in Archaeol., XLII. 350. A hoope ringe with 9 sparkes.
1675. Lond. Gaz., No. 987/4. A Diamond Ring with three very large stones, and some sparks.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 245, ¶ 2. Another [ring] set round with small Rubies and Sparks.
1771. T. Hull, Sir W. Harrington (1792), II. 239. With the cyphers of her name upon it [a locket], set round with very small sparks.
1874. Slang Dict., 303. Sparks, diamonds. Term much in use among the lower orders, and generally applied to stones in rings and pins.
fig. 1758. S. Hayward, Serm. (1792), xvi. 240. The sparks of this crown are perfect holiness and a conformity to God.
b. A (glittering) fragment or particle of some metal, ore or mineral. Also transf.
1560. Whitehorne, Ord. Souldiours (1573), 44 b. If you will make it parfiter, put to it a few stamped brickes, and sparkes of yron.
1581. W. Stafford, Exam. Compl., ii. (1876), 51. To trie out the sandes … to get amonge them after much labour small sparkes of gold.
1653. Manlove, Customs Lead Mines, 273. Trunks and Sparks of oar.
a. 1701. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1714), Add. 10. Tho’ it had the sparks and particles of Salt, yet it had perfectly lost its Savour.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 522. This bluish stone was filled with sparks of virgin copper.
5. A bright or glittering emanation, flash or gleam of light. Also transf., a bright glance.
a. 1542. Wyatt, in Anglia, XVIII. 479. The lyuely sparkes that issue from those Iyes.
1611. Cotgr., Bluette, a little streake, or sparke of heat, in the aire, when the season is verie hot.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., II. 195. At first I took them for sparks that are many times seen to flash out of the Sea, when the water is very rough.
1746. Hervey, Medit. (1818), 246. Abundance of living sparks glitter in the lanes, and twinkle under the hedges.
1750. trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 86. Crisolitus, of this Stone there is one Kind, of a gold Colour, with some burning Sparks.
1814. Scott, Lord of Isles, V. xii. Beneath their oars the ocean’s might Was dash’d to sparks of glimmering light.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 16 Nov., 3/1. At the sound of her native tongue, a spark came into her dark eyes.
Comb. 1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 20. Delicate, delicious, spark eyed, sleek skind, slender wasted, clean legd, rarely shapt.
b. Med. In pl., the glittering caused by the gathering of particles of cholesterin upon the eye in sparkling synchisis.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 42. It is conceivable that sparks or similar subjective phenomena, may appear from sudden and powerful contraction of the orbicularis palpebrarum compressing the globe.
6. Electr. A brilliant streak or flash of light produced by a discontinuous discharge of electricity between two conductors at a short or moderate distance apart.
[1742. Desaguliers, Diss. Electricity, 7. If the Room be darken’d when you make these Experiments, you will see Sparks of Light where-ever the Tube snaps.]
1748. Franklin, Lett., etc. Wks. 1840, V. 205. That thimble, in passing by, receives a spark, and thereby being electrified is repelled.
1788. Phil. Trans., LXXVIII. 271. Now, when the machine worked well, Mr. Gilpin supposes he got about two or three hundred sparks a minute.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xvii. (1842), 435. Upon putting the prime conductor into its place,… sparks two or three inches in length should fly rapidly from it to the knuckle.
1873. J. C. Maxwell, Electr. & Magn. (1881), I. 57. The discharge, when it occurs, usually takes the form of a spark.
b. More fully in electric(al) spark. Also transf. and fig.
1771. Encycl. Brit., II. 480/1. The electric spark will strike a hole through a quire of paper.
1831. Brewster, Optics, x. 86. Similar bands are perceived in the light … of the electric spark.
1840. Brit. Florist (1846), I. 72. The flowers of this genus may be seen … to emit small electrical sparks or threads of light.
1846. Grote, Greece, I. xvii. (1862), I. 401. Animated by the electric spark of genius.
7. attrib. and Comb. a. In the names of contrivances for the arresting, etc., of sparks in locomotive funnels or in chimneys, as spark-arrester, -baffler, guard, plate, trap.
Also, in recent use, spark-condenser, -consumer, etc.
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 799. What is called a spark plate (a broad plate of cast iron, to reflect back the sparks, and prevent their reaching up to the hops).
1838. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 134/1. The adaptation of this contrivance, and also the spark arrester, is very much called for.
1873. Medley, Autumn Tour U.S. & Canada, ix. 142. The locomotives are generally provided with spark-bafflers to the funnels.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 145/2. In American locomotives the top of the funnel is … fitted with a contrivance known as a ‘spark-trap’ or ‘spark-arrester.’
1901. Scotsman, 7 March, 6/1. To force railway companies to attach spark guards to locomotive engines.
b. In the names of electrical apparatus, or devices in internal-combustion motors, as spark-chronograph, coil, -condenser, -gap, -recorder.
Many others, of recent introduction, are recorded and explained in technical and encyclopædic dictionaries.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2254/1. Spark-condenser. 1. (Electricity.) An instrument … used for burning metals or obtaining the spectra of gases.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 124/2. The spark recorder in some respects foreshadowed the more perfect instrument—the siphon recorder.
1889. Telegr. Jrnl., 10 May, 550/2. An insulated rod, with an induction coil and spark gap.
1889. O. Anschütz, in Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., II. 294. The time … I had calculated exactly by means of spark-chronographs.
1902. How to Make Things, 3/2. A half-inch spark coil will give very good results.
