Now dial. [app. related to SPRENT v. and SPRINT v.] intr. To spring or start; to move in a quick or convulsive manner; to dart or run.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXIII. vi. No sooner tast they of them, but the childe doth stir and sprunt in their wombe. Ibid. (1603), Plutarch’s Mor., 1277. The armie of Alexander, after it had lost and forgone him, did no more but sprunt, pant, struggle and strive for life.
1656. Trapp, Matt. iv. 2. Beasts that have their death’s wound, bite cruelly, sprunt exceedingly.
1690. C. Nesse, Hist. & Myst. O. & N. Test., i. 216. Those twins spurned and sprunted in her womb.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, III. 393. See! this sweet-simp’ring Babe, Dear Image of thyself; see! how it sprunts With Joy at thy Approach!
1789. Mrs. Piozzi, Journ. France, II. 193. Wonderfully indeed did the players struggle, and bounce, and sprunt.
1823. in Spirit Public Jrnls., 528. He sprunted about among their legs lustily.
1854–. in dialect glossaries (Yks., Derby, Northampt., Warw.).
1897. Ld. E. Hamilton, Outlaws of Marches xvii. 187. I’ll just sprunt up the water and cross abune the forkings.
Hence Sprunting vbl. sb.
1643. Trapp, Gen. xxxii. 28. Their faint oppositions, and spruntings before death. Ibid. (1647), Rev. xii. 8. Their late utmost endeavours … were but as the last spruntings, or bitter-bites of dying beasts.
