sporran

[ spor-uh n ]

/ ˈspɒr ən /

noun

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

Nearby words

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

This must be the Sporran following us close with grim disregard of danger.
The Mystery of the Sea|Bram Stoker
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
The uniform was the full Highland dress, with musket and broadsword, dirk and sporran of badger's or otter's skin.
The Clan Fraser in Canada|Alexander Fraser
Its skin makes the “sporran” of the kilted Highlander, and its hair makes our shaving brushes.
Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood|J. Conway Walter

(b) The king's sporran, where Hathor-heads (h) take the place of the cowries of the primitive girdle.
The Evolution of the Dragon|G. Elliot Smith

British Dictionary definitions for sporran

sporran

/ (ˈspɒrən) /

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

sporran

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