élancer

Senses

1. 1.

   to dart; to shoot forward

   to move suddenly and swiftly in a given direction

2. 2.

   to surge; to shoot up

   to rise or spring up quickly (of a structure, feeling, or person)

3. 3.

   to throb; to shoot (pain)

   to have a sharp, sudden pain that comes and goes

Examples

• "L'enfant s'est élancé vers sa mère."

  The child darted toward his mother.

• "Une flèche s'élança du bois."

  An arrow shot forth from the wood.

• "La dent me lance depuis ce matin."

  The tooth has been throbbing since this morning.

Usage

Élancer is primarily reflexive (s'élancer) when meaning "to dart" or "to rush forward," but can also be used non-reflexively to describe pain or sensations. In medical/physical contexts, the non-reflexive form often means a sharp, shooting pain. Register: neutral to literary.