spencer

1
[ spen-ser ]
/ ˈspɛn sər /

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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a creature, variously described as a serpent, lizard, or dragon, said to kill by its breath or look.
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Origin of spencer

1
1740–50; 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

2
First 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. 2020

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012