sprag

[ sprag ]

/ spræg /

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noun

a pole or bar hinged to the rear axle of a cart or the like in such a way that it can brace the vehicle against a road to prevent it from rolling downhill.

Mining. a short timber for propping up loose walls or spacing two sets.

verb (used with object), spragged, sprag·ging.

to prop, support, or immobilize (a vehicle) by means of a sprag.

verb (used without object), spragged, sprag·ging.

to slow a vehicle by means of a sprag or, sometimes, by bracing the feet against the ground.

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Origin of sprag

1835–45; special use of dial. sprag twig (Old English spræcg shoot, slip); akin to sprig

Words nearby sprag

S.P.Q.R., S.P.R., Sprachgefühl, spraddle, spraddle-legged, sprag, Sprague, sprain, sprain fracture, spraint, sprang

Other definitions for sprag (2 of 2)

sprag²

[ sprag ]

/ spræg /

noun

a young cod.

Origin of sprag

First recorded in 1700–10; special use of dialectal sprag “twig, lively young man”; see sprag¹ and for meaning, cf. sprig

How to use sprag in a sentence

Sprag, sprag, n. a piece of wood used to lock a wheel: a punch-prop in mining.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Conclusion; with a testimonial of commodore Sprag in behalf of the assembly.
The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, [Vol 3 of 3]|Benjamin Franklin
For all that, it's a sheer impossibility that you should guess who put a sprag in the wheel of Hilton's chariot.
The Strange Case of Mortimer Fenley|Louis Tracy
Next instant (to make quite sure) I jumped out, ran to the front, and lowered the sprag.
The Lightning Conductor|C. N. Williamson

British Dictionary definitions for sprag

sprag

/ (spræɡ) /

noun

a chock or steel bar used to prevent a vehicle from running backwards on an incline

a support or post used in mining

NZ mining a steel bar inserted into the wheels of a box to act as a brake

Word Origin for sprag

C19: of uncertain origin

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