spencer

[ 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

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

Other definitions 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

First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain

Other definitions 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.

Other definitions 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. 2022

How to use spencer in a sentence

At the start, outside their home in the Atlanta suburbs, it was just Spencer and his mother in the evenings.
Spencer Kieboom built his life around baseball. Then he quietly walked away.|Jesse Dougherty|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
Spencer and Carter, the youngest, were drafted by the Nationals.
Spencer Kieboom built his life around baseball. Then he quietly walked away.|Jesse Dougherty|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
With her mom by her side throughout, so was Emily’s wife, Spencer.
Emily Engel-Natzke’s dad was her ‘biggest fan.’ He died of covid-19 before her hockey triumph.|Samantha Pell|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
It’ll be very interesting to see how this strategy evolves for Microsoft, and whether Spencer’s prediction will bear out.
Good things come in the small Series S package, just not next-gen’s best things|Gene Park|November 5, 2020|Washington Post

Spencer saw this firsthand in the treatment of patients during the early stages of outbreaks in New York City, where the patient obviously was ill but the resources to test them were unavailable.
The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse|Sara Kiley Watson|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science
And yes, someone has already called Spencer a “Small Fry,” har har.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For his part, Bratton is disappointed but not surprised that the same narrative is already being mapped onto Fry and Spencer.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Spencer, 27, is variously described as a writer and a stand-up comic.
Meet Stephen Fry’s Future Husband (Who Is Less Than Half His Age)|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Craig Spencer, the New York doctor who contracted Ebola in Guinea, was declared “cured” of the virus last week.
The Sham, Scaremongering Guide to Ebola|Abby Haglage|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spencer Perceval, prime minister of Great Britain, shot in the lobby of the house of commons.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Spencer tells us that it is 'absolutely antecedent to all relative experience whatever.'
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Mis' Spencer, you set that cherry pie o' yourn on this particular spot an' figure of this table-cloth!
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
His only son, Charles Lord Spencer, was just entering on public life.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Spencer learned that very night that his sister had admitted her husband to her apartment.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

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