Etymograph

English

springe

Springe comes from Middle English spreng.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spreng1
  2. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602springe1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English springe
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Ay, springes to catch woodcocks”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sprengWiktionary, English springe
  2. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602springeWiktionary, English springe. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Ay, springes to catch woodcocks”

Every English word from Middle English spreng

Today it means

noun A snare.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “springe”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English spreng / springe

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