The process of aquatic animals releasing or depositing eggs for reproduction, or more generally, producing offspring or giving rise to something.
From Old French espandre meaning 'to spread out, expand,' from Latin expandere. Originally applied to fish releasing eggs in water, the term later extended to any mass production or creation, including the digital sense of creating new game characters.
Salmon spawning is one of nature's most dramatic life cycles—these fish navigate hundreds of miles upstream, fighting currents and predators, only to reproduce and die where they were born. The word has spawned new meanings in gaming culture, where characters 'spawn' into virtual worlds at designated starting points.
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