spangle

American  

[spang-guhl] / ˈspæŋ gəl /

noun

1. a small, thin, often circular piece of glittering metal or other material, used especially for decorating garments.

2. any small, bright drop, object, spot, or the like.

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verb (used with object)

spangled, spangling

1. to decorate with spangles.

2. to sprinkle or stud with small, bright pieces, objects, spots, etc.

verb (used without object)

spangled, spangling

1. to glitter with or like spangles.

spangle British  

/ ˈspæŋɡəl /

noun

1. a small thin piece of metal or other shiny material used as a decoration, esp on clothes; sequin

2. any glittering or shiny spot or object

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verb

1. (intr) to glitter or shine with or like spangles

2. (tr) to decorate or cover with spangles

Other Word Forms

• spangly
  adjective
• unspangled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of spangle

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English noun spangel(e), equivalent to spange “spangle” (perhaps from Middle Dutch spange, spaenge “brooch, clasp,” or from Old Norse spǫng “clasp, buckle, spangle”) + -le -le ( def. )

Explanation

Do you like your outfits to have flair? A little sparkle? Then you're probably a fan of spangles, or small, shiny decorative things like sequins. Vegas showgirls and beauty queens know all about spangle. Their outfits are usually covered in the sequins, crystals, golden beads and sparkly frills that are all considered kinds of spangles. And if you want to use spangle as a verb, go right ahead — as in, "all that glitter certainly makes those showgirls spangle up on stage."

Example Sentences

Hampson was a high school senior in Spangle, Washington, when Nixon made the seven-day trip to China in 1972, the first visit by an American president following the 1949 communist revolution.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Spangle retired from Interior in March 2018, and began to tell his story publicly.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2022

Violence: The Misadventures of Spike Spangle, Farmer A struggling farmer finds himself a pawn in a nefarious plot in Tim Robbins and Adam Simon’s satire of the media and militarism.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2019

“It’s really the easiest way to make sure they won’t be encumbered on their own land,” said Steve Spangle, the Arizona field supervisor for the U.S.

From Washington Times • Oct. 1, 2014

The streaming tresses of the Egyptian Queen Spangle the heavens no more.

From Poetical Works of William Cullen Bryant Household Edition by Stoddard, Richard Henry