Also 5 sparkyn, 6–7 sparke, 6 Sc. sperk. [Related to SPARK sb.1, and agreeing in form with MDu. sparken, spaerken, sperken (WFlem. sparken, sperken, WFris. sparkje), MLG. sparken. The OE. vb. was spircan, spyrcan (:—*spięrcan), but *spearcade is a plausible emendation of sweartade in Satan 78.]
1. intr. To emit or give forth a spark or sparks; to sparkle. Also transf. and in fig. context.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2144. It sparkede, and ful brith shon, So doth þe gode charbucle ston.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cxlix. Þornes … beþ sone itende in þe fuyre … and sparkeþ and crakkeþ and makeþ moche noyse.
c. 1460. Promp. Parv. (Winch. MS.), 462. Sparkyn, sintillo.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 99. I neuer heard thy fyre once sparke.
1611. Cotgr., Estinceller, to sparke, to sparkle, as fire.
1763. C. Berkeley, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1843), I. 244. Her temper is like charcoal, which kindles soon, and sparks to the top of the house.
b. transf. Of the eyes, or in reference to these.
1594. Spenser, Amoretti, lxxxi. Fayre is my loue, when … in her eyes the fyre of loue does sparke.
1631. Quarles, Samson, xix. Her eyes did sparke, At every glance, like Diamonds in the darke.
1827. Hood, Hero & Leander, ix. Their cheeks are white…, And those fair mirrors where their joys did spark, All dim.
2. To issue, come forth, fall, etc., as or in the manner of sparks. Also transf.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, III. viii. 132. The blak laithly smuke … With gledis sperkand as the haill als thik.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, 13. The sunlight that … sparked on his teeth when he laughed.
1897. Crockett, Lads’ Love, viii. 79. The anger fair sparked and blazed from her dark, indignant eyes.
b. With advs., as off, out.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, iii. Every now and then a flying fish would spark out from the unruffled bosom of the heaving water.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 11 Nov., 6/1. If the phosphorus ‘sparks’ off, as it is apt to do.
c. To go out, be extinguished, like sparks.
1845. Bailey, Festus (ed. 2), 269. These have died, are dying, and shall die; Yea, copyists shall die, spark out and out.
3. trans. a. To send out, or emit, in or as sparks.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. xi. 21. To sparke out litle beames, like starres in foggie night.
1610. Heywood, Gold. Age, III. i. Threaten your worst! let all your eyes spark fire!
b. To illuminate or enlighten feebly.
1835. E. Elliott, Wonders of the Lane, xxiv. Poems III. 77. Oh, God of terrors! what are we?—Poor insects, spark’d with thought!
c. Electr. To affect, act or operate upon, by the emission or transmission of electrical sparks. Also absol., to send a spark across, etc.
1889. Philos. Mag., Ser. V. XXVII. 339. Whenever a large Leyden jar is sparked through the coil.
1895. Daily Chron., 13 April, 3/5. Professor Ramsay saw … that he had some gas, and was eager to ‘spark’ it.
1905. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 1 July, 14. Whenever this [gap] is sparked across, the tube is softened slightly by the regulator.
4. Sc. and north. dial. a. To spatter (dirt, etc.).
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. clxiii. 379. My desire is to ride fair and not to spark dirt … in the face of my … well-beloved.
b. To bespatter or spot with mud, etc. Also fig.
1806. Douglas, Poems, 81. Young lasses’ fame, my dainty joe, Is unco easy sparkit.
1808. Jamieson, App., To Spark,… to soil by throwing up small spots of mire.
1894. Heslop, Northumbld. Gloss., 674. The coach gan past sparkt us.
