sporran

[spor-uh n]

noun

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

Origin of sporran

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sporran

Historical Examples of sporran

He sprang up and thrust the stocking and needles into his sporran.
The Sleuth of St. James's Square
Melville Davisson Post
This must be the Sporran following us close with grim disregard of danger.
The Mystery of the Sea
Bram Stoker
At noon he sat down to eat his "piece," which he carried in his sporran.
The Wee Scotch Piper
Madeline Brandeis
I wonder if these bags are related to the Sporran of the Highlanders.
Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland, First Series
Lady Gregory
One of them dragged at the frogs of his kilt, and then at his "sporran."
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885
Charles Royle

British Dictionary definitions for sporran

sporran

noun

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

Word Origin for sporran

C19: from Scottish Gaelic sporan purse; compare Irish Gaelic sparán purse, Late Latin bursa bag

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

Word Origin and History for sporran

1818, from Gaelic sporan, Irish sparan "purse," of uncertain origin. Familiarized by Walter Scott (first attested in "Rob Roy").