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spawn
In biological contexts, the term describes the specific act of releasing eggs or the eggs themselves. When used as a noun, it is an uncountable mass noun; you would refer to "a clump of spawn" or "some spawn" rather than "spawns."
In figurative or technical usage, the word carries a connotation of rapid, prolific generation. Whether describing a trend that triggers a wave of imitations or a computer process creating child threads, it implies a parent-child relationship where one entity gives rise to many others.
Meanings
To produce or generate a large number of something, typically a new set of ideas, events, or offspring.
The success of the first movie spawned several sequels and a spin-off series.
To release eggs into the water, typically in a gravelly stream or seabed, for fertilization by a male fish.
Salmon swim upstream to spawn in the cold mountain waters.