Sprues

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The passage or runner through which molten metal flows into a casting mold ; a long-lasting digestive disorder that impairs nutrient absorption in the gut
2. A feeding channel that carries liquid metal into a mould during casting ; a chronic tropical illness in which the small intestine fails to absorb nutrients
3. The gate or conduit that directs molten metal into a cast ; an ongoing intestinal condition, common in the tropics, that disrupts how food is absorbed

Etymology: "Sprues" is the plural of "sprue", the channel through which molten metal is poured into a mould, and the word comes to English from Dutch "spruw" or "sprouw". The Dutch term is itself obscure in origin, and the sources do not agree on a clear ancestor beyond that, so the trail ends in the Low Countries foundry trade. The English usage was established by William Hillary, who described the sprue in his writing on casting, so the term has a documented first use in that technical context rather than a long literary life. A sprue is the solidified metal left behind in the channel after a casting cools, and it is typically cut away from the finished piece. The word's basic sense, a passage for flowing metal, has stayed remarkably stable since it entered English.

Synonyms: gate, runner