Spree

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /spɹiː/

Definitions

1. A period of unrestrained activity or indulgence, often involving excessive spending or a series of similar actions done rapidly in succession
2. A lively and unrestrained time characterized by excessive activity or spending, which may include a series of enjoyable events occurring in quick succession
3. An occasion marked by excessive and often carefree indulgence in activities or expenditures, frequently involving a rapid succession of similar experiences

Etymology: Spree's origin is genuinely uncertain, and the leading guesses point in different directions. One proposal links it to French "esprit" ("lively wit"), though that connection is debated. Another, favored by the scholar Watkins, traces it through Scots "spreath," meaning "cattle raid," back to Gaelic "spré," meaning "cattle; wealth." That chain runs further back to Latin "praeda," meaning "plunder, booty." If so, a word now used for a splurge of shopping or partying would have started as a description of driving off livestock. A related Irish word, "spré," meaning "wealth" or a dowry, may also be connected, and some scholars have suggested it was borrowed from Old Norse "sprakr." This link is contested, so the family of words remains tentative. The meaning shift is the most striking part. A word that once suggested a raid for valuables now describes a burst of unrestrained spending or activity, which fits the sense of grabbing and taking that the earlier meanings carried.

Synonyms: binge, frenzy, rampage, blowout, celebration

Antonyms: restraint, moderation, sobriety, calm, order