0 past simple and past participle of spark
1 to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting:
This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about immigration.
The recent interest-rate rises have sparked new problems for small businesses.
The visit of the G20 leaders sparked off (= caused the start of) mass demonstrations.
They are embedded in a social and cultural world, linked to other concepts and feelings and sparked by stimuli specific to that milieu.
The emphasis on heterogeneity sparked debates about longevity and set the stage for the current interest in frailty as individual risk.
Nevertheless, the reader's interest will be sparked by the descriptive commentary that is found in this chapter.
For instance, it was sparked by the reported achievement of controlled nuclear fusion.
This sparked a life-long interest in genetics of immune responses to parasites.
Our theoretical interest in spatial diffusion was sparked off by concern with the tangible matter of democratization.
The issue sparked a concerned debate in the city.
Even more revealing are occasions when workmen invoked clauses in the company charter to put their case, especially when grumbling about election procedure sparked quarrels.
