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spancel

American  
[span-suhl] / ˈspæn səl /

noun

  1. a noosed rope with which to hobble an animal, especially a horse or cow.


verb (used with object)

spanceled, spanceling, spancelled, spancelling
  1. to fetter with or as with a spancel.

spancel British  
/ ˈspænsəl /

noun

  1. a length of rope for hobbling an animal, esp a horse or cow

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to hobble (an animal) with a loose rope

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spancel

1600–10; < Low German spansel, derivative of spannen to stretch; see 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:

As my horse was straying toward the west side of the clearing I went to fetch him back and spancel him near the fort.

From A Virginia Scout by D. C. Hutchison

"Do not forget the spancel," said the woman with the child on her knees; "take the inside one."

From The Celtic Twilight by W. B. (William Butler) Yeats

We spanceled our horses in a tiny opening well surrounded by woods.

From A Virginia Scout by D. C. Hutchison

That night, according to my custom, I spanceled my horse at a considerable distance from my camp.

From A Virginia Scout by D. C. Hutchison

Three weeks is a long space, and yet you're seven years spancelled with Naisi and the pair.

From Deirdre of the Sorrows by J. M. (John Millington) Synge

Two of his legs were spancelled with a piece of straw rope, but being used to such impediment he came over without any awkwardness.

From The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum

The horses, although tethered and close spancelled, could not be secured, even thus.

From Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia by Thomas Mitchell

Their amusement at the awkward movements of the horses after they were spancelled knew no bounds.

From Wau-bun The Early Day in the Northwest by Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie

I followed up a rocky hill to the house above, and there found Flurry and Slipper engaged in the patriarchal task of driving two brace of coupled and spancelled goats into a shed.

From Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Martin Ross

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