spree

Pronunciation

• IPA: /spɹiː/^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.^[2][3][4] Barnhart suggests an alteration of French esprit “lively wit”,^[5][2] while the American Heritage Dictionary suggests an alteration of Scots spreath “cattle raid”,^[6][2] from Scottish Gaelic spréidh (“cattle, wealth”),^[6][2] from Middle Irish preid (“booty”),^[6][2] ultimately from Latin praeda (“plunder”).^[6][2] It would then be related to prey.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A lively or boisterous frolic (1804), first in Scots dialect.^[6][5][2][7]

Semantic evolution

By 1811 the word meant a drinking bout,^[6][7] and the phrase on the spree is from 1847.^[7] The sense of an unrestrained indulgence in some activity, as in a spending spree, is recorded from 1849.^[6] Scots and Irish dialects also have a sense “a fight”, which may link the word to the cattle raid.^[6]

Timeline

• 1804 – a lively outing or frolic.^{[6][5][2][3][7]}
• 1811 – a drinking bout.^[6][7]
• 1825 – verb, to take part in a spree.^[7]
• 1849 – an overindulgence in an activity.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A carefree, lively outing; a frolic.
2. A bout of drinking; a binge.
3. An unrestrained burst of some activity, as in a spending spree.

Verb

1. To take part in a spree.

Related words

• prey
• esprit
• binge

Usage notes

Wiktionary notes that the noun is often preceded by the name of an activity, as in shopping spree.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
5. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press