/spɔ:n; spɔn/
n [U] (esp in compounds 尤用以构成复合词)
1 eggs of fish, shellfish and frogs, toads, etc （鱼、甲壳动物、蛙、蟾等的）卵
*`frog-spawn 蛙卵.
2 (biology 生) white fibrous matter from which mushroomsand other fungi grow 菌丝.

v [I, Tn]
(a) (of fish, frogs, etc) produce (eggs) （指鱼、蛙等）产（卵）
*salmon spawning 产卵的鲑鱼
* Have the frogs spawned yet? 那些蛙产卵了吗?
(b) (esp derog 尤作贬义) appear or produce (sth) in great numbers 大批涌现; 大量产生（某事物）
*departments which spawn committees and sub-committees 派生出一大串委员会和附属委员会的部门
* new housing estates spawning everywhere 处处涌现出的新住宅区.