sprig

IPA/sprɪɡ/
IPA/sprɪɡ/

sprig — noun

  • sprigsingular
  • sprigsplural

1. a short, thin piece broken or cut from a plant, typically carrying a few leaves,

1.nounC1
Definition

a short, thin piece broken or cut from a plant, typically carrying a few leaves, used in cooking, drinks, or as a small decoration.

Example

Nellie garnished the lamb stew with a fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden.

collocation: sprig of rosemary / thyme / mint / parsley

The bartender dropped a sprig of mint into Linh's cocktail before serving it.

typical cooking/drink context

Common collocations
  • a sprig of rosemary
  • a sprig of mint
  • garnish with a sprig
Synonyms
  • twig

    more general — any small woody shoot, not necessarily with leaves or culinary use

  • spray

    a larger arrangement of flowers or foliage on a single stem

  • stalk

    the main stem of a plant; less leafy than a sprig

Grammar Patterns

a sprig of [plant/herb]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the partitive pattern 'a sprig of + [herb/plant]', most often with rosemary, thyme, mint, parsley, lavender, or holly. Distinguish from sense 2: this is a real piece of plant; sense 2 is its painted or carved likeness on an object.

Common Mistakes

Christopher added a sprig of salt to the soup.
Christopher added a pinch of salt to the soup.
'sprig' is only for leafy plant pieces, not powders or grains.

2. a painted, woven, or carved pattern on fabric, china, or wallpaper that imitates

2.nounC2
Definition

a painted, woven, or carved pattern on fabric, china, or wallpaper that imitates a small leafy stem or tiny flowers.

Example

Felipe's grandmother kept her wedding china, each plate edged with delicate pink sprigs.

decorative-arts context: china edged with sprigs

Reema chose a cotton dress printed with tiny blue sprigs for her cousin's tea party.

collocation: printed with sprigs

Common collocations
  • sprig design
  • printed with sprigs
  • sprig pattern
Synonyms
  • motif

    more general — any repeated decorative element; a sprig is specifically leaf-and-stem shaped

  • print

    broader; a sprig print is one specific kind of pattern

Grammar Patterns

a sprig design

decorated with sprigs

Usage Note

Typical in decorative-arts and textile descriptions (china, fabric, wallpaper). Distinguish from sense 1: this names a printed or carved image of a sprig, not an actual plant stem.

sprig — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four describe a small plant part, but they pick different aspects. A sprig is the most kitchen-ready: a short leafy piece of a herb such as rosemary, mint, or thyme, used to flavour food or as a small visual decoration. A twig is woodier and more general — any small branch broken from a tree, with or without leaves; you can light a fire with twigs but you would not garnish a dish with one. A spray is larger and more elegant — a longer single stem bearing multiple flowers or leaves, the word a florist uses for a wedding bouquet. A stalk emphasises the main stem itself rather than the leaves; you eat the stalk of celery, but the leafy top of parsley is its sprig. For example: Anya garnished the lamb with a sprig of rosemary; Reema carried a spray of lilies down the aisle.

sprig ↗twig ↗spray ↗stalk ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a sprig of mint
  • a sprig of rosemary
  • sprigs of holly

Prepositions

  • a sprig of [herb]
  • decorated with sprigs of

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishModern English

First recorded in Middle English around 1400 as 'sprigge', meaning a small slender shoot. The word is probably related to Old English 'spræc' (shoot, sprout) and to similar Germanic words such as Low German 'sprick' (thin twig). The metalworking sense 'small headless nail', and the verbal senses 'fasten with a brad' and 'decorate with leaf patterns', emerged later, from the late 1500s onward, by extension from the original plant meaning.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb