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sporran

American

[spor-uhn] / 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.

sporran British

/ ˈspɒrən /

noun

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

National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3

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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.

See Examples For:

sporran

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

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025

The King is also wearing a tie in matching colours and a brown sporran.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2025

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

Glenaladale at this time carried the fortune of the little party—some forty gold louis and a few shillings—in his sporran.

From The True Story Book by Andrew Lang

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