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sporran

American  
[spor-uhn] / ˈspɒr ən /

noun

  1. (in Scottish Highland costume) a large pouch for men, commonly of fur, worn, suspended from a belt, in front of the kilt.

sporran British  
/ ˈspɒrən /

noun

  1. a large pouch, usually of fur, worn hanging from a belt in front of the kilt in men's Scottish Highland dress

"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

Etymology

Origin of sporran

1745–55; < Scots Gaelic sporan; compare Irish sparán purse

Vocabulary lists containing sporran

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The manager pieced together a full ensemble of kilt, jacket, sporran, hose and brogues.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025

And how many men could get away with a combo of kilt, sporran and sparkly epaulettes?

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2024

The sporran, the leather purse that men wear in front of their kilts, doubled as crotch protection for Scottish warriors.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2017

This inquisitive Scot and his brother, Dougal, are the only people in 1743 who’ve noticed that Claire has a sporran full of secrets, and they suspect that she’s an English spy.

From Time • Aug. 16, 2014

Here is the first list; it lengthened speedily: thistle, tartan, haar, haggis, kirk, claymore, parritch, broom, whin, sporran, whaup, plaid, scone, collops, whiskey, mutch, cairngorm, oatmeal, brae, kilt, brose, heather.

From Penelope's Progress Being Such Extracts from the Commonplace Book of Penelope Hamilton As Relate to Her Experiences in Scotland by Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.