Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Secured or loaded by means of a spring.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of a mechanical device, containing a spring that holds a component in a particular position.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective containing a compressed spring that presses one part against another

Etymologies

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Examples

  • If he has all the basics — at least one grill, a wire cleaning brush, spring-loaded tongs and a food thermometer — consider getting him a cool accessory.

    Five Father's Day ideas for the family grill-master 2011

  • Be sure to check out the "making of" video for lots of sweet little notes, like the spring-loaded tug-knob that works like a pinball launcher, which turns on the machine and spins up a flywheel, making the whole thing feel mechanical rather than electric.

    Boing Boing 2009

  • In 1904, Anderson applied for a patent for her solution to the problem: a lever that, when operated by the driver, made a spring-loaded arm wipe off the windshield and swing back to its original location.

    Archive 2009-03-01 Alyssa Gardina 2009

  • The result is a spring-loaded funk band that has all of the trampoline punch of its Memphis forebears—Booker T. & the MGs, the Mar-Keys, the Bar-Kays and Pac-Keys.

    Mining the Memphis Sound Marc Myers 2011

  • In 1904, Anderson applied for a patent for her solution to the problem: a lever that, when operated by the driver, made a spring-loaded arm wipe off the windshield and swing back to its original location.

    Ada Lovelace Day: Bullet-proof and Waterproof Alyssa Gardina 2009

  • Dude makes homemade spring-loaded Wolverine*-style claws and uses them to fight evil in the form of a cardboard box.

    Archive 2009-05-03 Tyler 2009

  • Or the spring-loaded longshoreman's hooks built into his gauntlets ... yanno, for combat or climbing.

    Archive 2010-01-01 Hal Duncan 2010

  • Or the spring-loaded longshoreman's hooks built into his gauntlets ... yanno, for combat or climbing.

    A Homage to Heroes Hal Duncan 2010

  • Dude makes homemade spring-loaded Wolverine*-style claws and uses them to fight evil in the form of a cardboard box.

    Homemade Wolverine claws: Awful or Awesome? Tyler 2009

  • The shooter would put the spring-loaded device into the birds' cage it resembles a small, wooden dog and scare them into flight with the yank of a cord.

    Trying to Build a Better Mousetrap Rachel Wolff 2011

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