What does "sprint" mean?

1. (a short race) a short race where you run as fast as you can from start to finish. 2. (a burst of activity) a short period where you work or move very quickly to finish something. 3. (software development cycle) a set period of time, usually two weeks, where a team works to finish specific tasks. 4. (to run fast) to run or move at your highest possible speed for a short time.

sprint

n. · v.

US //ˈspɹɪnt// UK //spɹˈɪnt// sprint

1 a short race (n.)
B1 Intermediate Sport

a short race where you run as fast as you can from start to finish.

a short-distance race in which the competitors maintain maximum speed throughout.

Example

He won the 100-metre sprint by just a fraction of a second.

Example

The Olympic sprint requires explosive power from the starting blocks and perfect form to maintain velocity over the final twenty metres.
- dash
- marathon
2 a burst of activity (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a short period where you work or move very quickly to finish something.

a brief, intense effort or burst of activity aimed at completing a specific task.

Example

We had a final sprint at the office to get the report finished by Friday.

Example

After months of slow progress, the team entered a final sprint to ensure the product was ready for the international trade show.

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3 software development cycle (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

a set period of time, usually two weeks, where a team works to finish specific tasks.

a fixed-duration development cycle in Agile methodology, typically lasting two to four weeks.

Example

The team decided which features to include in the next two-week sprint.

Example

During the sprint planning meeting, the developers estimated the complexity of each task to ensure the workload remained manageable within the fortnight.
- iteration
- cycle
4 to run fast (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to run or move at your highest possible speed for a short time.

to run, cycle, or move at maximum speed for a limited duration. Often used without a direct object.

Example

I had to sprint to the station so I wouldn't miss the last train.

Example

The striker managed to sprint past the defenders, reaching the ball just in time to take a shot at the goal.
- stroll
- saunter

Origin

Alteration of earlier sprent (“to leap; bound; dart”), from Northern Middle English sprenten, from Old Norse sprenta (for later spretta), from Proto-Germanic sprantijaną, causative of Proto-Germanic sprintaną (“to jump up; bounce”), from Proto-Indo-European sprend-, sprendʰ- (“to flinch; jump”), from Proto-Indo-European sper- (“to twitch; fidget; flinch; jump; be quick”). Cognate with Middle High German sprenzen (“to sprinkle; splash”), Swedish spritta (“to startle”), Icelandic spretta (“to spring forth; emerge; arise; develop”).