inspan
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to harness (animals) to (a vehicle); yoke
-
to press (people) into service
Etymology
Origin of inspan
From Afrikaans, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at in- 1, span 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But it was now time to inspan; for the first time since they had last drunk the oxen were really suffering from thirst.
From Lodges in the Wilderness by W. C. (William Charles) Scully
At any rate the sooner we took the road again the better, and so I announced to Falkner that we would inspan at sunrise.
From A Frontier Mystery by Bertram Mitford
Dawes was about to give orders to inspan, when there burst forth from around the spur of the hill a most horrible and startling tumult.
From The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley by Bertram Mitford
Stephanus always let them rest in the heat of the day; in the evening he would inspan and then push on through the cool hours of the night.
From A Vendetta of the Desert by W. C. (William Charles) Scully
Just as they were about to inspan the oxen in the morning some fifteen or twenty men were seen approaching at a gallop.
From The Young Colonists A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars by G.A. Henty
But nothing that had happened revealed the vicious ingrained obstinacy of the animal’s nature so clearly as the last act in the struggle: it stood passive, and apparently beaten, while the boys inspanned it again.
From Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
When they inspanned and made another start the wind had completely ceased, the sunlight had lost its sting, and the stillness of infinite peace seemed to brood like a bright-plumaged dove over the Desert.
From Between Sun and Sand A Tale of an African Desert by W. C. (William Charles) Scully
Next morning our party inspanned and treked over the desert plain in a north-easterly direction.
From The Young Yagers A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa by Mayne Reid
This hope consoled Groot Willem, as he mounted his huge horse, and rode after the wagons that were already inspanned and treking down the valley.
From The Young Yagers A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa by Mayne Reid
In the Bushveld the oxen were invariably tied up at night, picketed to the trek-chain, each pair at its yoke ready to be inspanned for the early morning trek.
From Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
I moved among the cattle myself, watching them feed greedily and waiting to see them satisfied before inspanning again to trek through the night to some higher and more open ground.
From Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
Glancing up, they saw Schoverling and the gun-bearers catching up their weapons, while the natives were leading the cattle away from the wagon, the inspanning having already begun for the march.
From The Rogue Elephant The Boys' Big Game Series by Fred J. Arting
Whilst we were hastily inspanning and upsaddling, Theron came in from the right, bringing with him a captured Hussar.
From With Steyn and De Wet by Philip Pienaar
For miles and miles men were quickly at work sinking holes into the ground; camp-fires were flaming; teamsters were inspanning and outspanning their oxen, and wagons were creaking.
From Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania by Jewett Castello Gilson
By the time the inspanning was complete, and good-byes were in progress, Percival was on the scene with his horse saddled up and ready.
From The Triumph of Hilary Blachland by Bertram Mitford
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
