spanker

[ spang-ker ]

/ ˈspæŋ kər /

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noun

Nautical.

a fore-and-aft sail on the aftermost lower mast of a sailing vessel having three or more masts.
a designation given to the mast abaft a mizzenmast, usually the aftermost mast in any vessel.

Informal. a smartly moving person or animal, especially a fast horse.

Chiefly New England. something remarkably fine.

adjective Nautical.

of or relating to a spanker mast or its rigging.

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Origin of spanker

First recorded in 1745–55; akin to spanking

Words nearby spanker

Spanish trefoil, Spanish West Africa, Spanish West African, Spanish windlass, spank, spanker, spanking, span loading, spanner, span-new, span of apprehension

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use spanker in a sentence

As "Dolly" Spanker, my husband, he was inimitable, and brought down the house two or three times during the evening.
Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a Century|Montague Massey
To become the owner of this old friend again and of his new companions, Spanker and Pony, was a work of necessity.
The World's Greatest Books, Volume 19|Various
Spanker, spang′kėr, n. the after-sail of a ship or barque, so called from its flapping in the breeze.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Spanker received his congratulations with a loud laugh, and a hearty shake of the hand.
Tales And Novels, Volume 1 (of 10)|Maria Edgeworth

Spanker, in riding home full gallop the preceding day, had been thrown from her horse by an old woman.
Tales And Novels, Volume 1 (of 10)|Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for spanker

spanker

/ (ˈspæŋkə) /

noun

nautical a fore-and-aft sail or a mast that is aftermost in a sailing vessel

informal a person or animal that moves at a quick smart pace

informal something outstandingly fine or large

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