spanker

[ spang-ker ]
/ ˈspæŋ kər /

noun

Nautical.
  1. a fore-and-aft sail on the aftermost lower mast of a sailing vessel having three or more masts.
  2. 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 west african, spanish windlass, spanish-american, spanish-american war, spank, spanker, spanking, spanner, spanrail, spanspek, spansule
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for spanker

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