spencer
1[ spen-ser ]
/ ˈspɛn sər /
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noun
a short, close-fitting jacket, frequently trimmed with fur, worn in the 19th century by women and children.
a man's close-fitting jacket, having a collar and lapels and reaching just below the waist, worn in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
an English wig of the 18th century.
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Origin of spencer
11740–50; in defs. 1, 2 named after G. J. Spencer (1758–1834), English earl; in def. 3 named after Charles Spencer
Words nearby spencer
spelter, spelunk, spelunker, Spemann, spence, spencer, Spencer Gulf, Spencerian, spend, spendable, spender
Definition for spencer (2 of 4)
spencer2
[ spen-ser ]
/ ˈspɛn sər /
noun Nautical.
a large gaff sail used abaft a square-rigged foremast or abaft the mainmast of a ship or bark.
Origin of spencer
2First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain
Definition for spencer (3 of 4)
Spencer1
[ spen-ser ]
/ ˈspɛn sər /
noun Military.
a .52 caliber, lever-action repeating rifle and carbine patented in the U.S. in 1860 and used by the Union army and navy in the Civil War.
Definition for spencer (4 of 4)
Spencer2
[ spen-ser ]
/ ˈspɛn sər /
noun
Charles, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, 1674–1722, British statesman: prime minister 1718–21.
Herbert, 1820–1903, English philosopher.
Platt Rogers [plat], /plæt/, 1800–64, U.S. calligrapher and teacher of penmanship.
a town in NW Iowa.
a town in central Massachusetts.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for spencer
British Dictionary definitions for spencer (1 of 3)
spencer1
/ (ˈspɛnsə) /
noun
a short fitted coat or jacket
a woman's knitted vest
Word Origin for spencer
C18: named after Earl Spencer (1758–1834)
British Dictionary definitions for spencer (2 of 3)
spencer2
/ (ˈspɛnsə) /
noun
nautical a large loose-footed gaffsail on a square-rigger or barque
Word Origin for spencer
C19: perhaps after the surname Spencer
British Dictionary definitions for spencer (3 of 3)
Spencer
/ (ˈspɛnsə) /
noun
Herbert. 1820–1903, English philosopher, who applied evolutionary theory to the study of society, favouring laissez-faire doctrines
Sir Stanley. 1891–1959, English painter, noted esp for his paintings of Christ in a contemporary English setting
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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