spree (spr )
n.
1. A carefree, lively outing.
2. A drinking bout.
3. A sudden indulgence in or outburst of an activity. See Synonyms at binge.
[Perhaps alteration of Scots spreath, cattle raid, from Irish and Scottish Gaelic spréidh, spré, cattle, wealth, from Middle Irish preit, preid, booty, ultimately from Latin praeda; see ghend- in Indo-European roots.]
Word History: A spending spree seems a far cry from a cattle raid, yet etymologists have suggested that the word spree comes from the Scots word spreath, "cattle raid." The word spree is first recorded in a poem in Scots dialect in 1804 in the sense of "a lively outing." This sense is closely connected with a sense recorded soon afterward (in 1811), "a drinking bout," while the familiar sense "an overindulgence in an activity," as in a spending spree, is recorded in 1849. Scots and Irish dialects also have a sense "a fight," which may help connect the word and the sense "lively outing" with the Scots word spreath, meaning variously, "booty," "cattle taken as spoils," "a herd of cattle taken in a raid," and "cattle raid." The Scots word comes from Irish and Scottish Gaelic spréidh, "cattle," which in turn ultimately comes from Latin praeda, "booty." This last link reveals both the importance of the Latin language to Gaelic and a connection between cattle and plunder in earlier Irish and Scottish societies.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
spree [spriː]
n
1. a session of considerable overindulgence, esp in drinking, squandering money, etc.
2. a romp
[perhaps changed from Scottish spreath plundered cattle, ultimately from Latin praeda booty]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
spree (spri)
n.
1. a period or bout of indulgence, as of a craving or whim: an eating spree; a spending spree.
2. a binge; carousal.
3. a period or outburst of activity.
[1795–1805; orig. uncertain]
Spree (spreɪ, ʃpreɪ) n.
a river in E Germany, flowing N through Berlin to the Havel River. 220 mi. (354 km) long.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  spree - a brief indulgence of your impulses
spending spree - a brief period of extravagant spending
intemperateness, self-indulgence, intemperance - excess in action and immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites, especially in passion or indulgence; "the intemperance of their language"
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| Verb | 1. | spree - engage without restraint in an activity and indulge, as when shopping |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
spree
noun
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
