inspan
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to harness (animals) to (a vehicle); yoke
-
to press (people) into service
Etymology
Origin of inspan
From Afrikaans, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at in- 1, span 2
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:
“I think we’ll inspan and get on,” said Greenoak.
From Harley Greenoak's Charge by Mitford, Bertram
At any rate the sooner we took the road again the better, and so I announced to Falkner that we would inspan at sunrise.
From A Frontier Mystery by Mitford, Bertram
But it was now time to inspan; for the first time since they had last drunk the oxen were really suffering from thirst.
From Lodges in the Wilderness by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)
That worthy merely nodded, with a word of greeting, and having seen their luggage safely stowed among the bales and cases which, piled sky-high, constituted his cargo, gave orders to inspan.
From The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley by Mitford, Bertram
Just as they were about to inspan the oxen in the morning some fifteen or twenty men were seen approaching at a gallop.
From The Young Colonists A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars by Henty, G.A.
When they inspanned and made another start the wind had completely ceased, the sunlight had lost its sting, and the stillness of infinite peace seemed to brood like a bright-plumaged dove over the Desert.
From Between Sun and Sand A Tale of an African Desert by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)
The horses were inspanned to the coach; he had only time to say good-bye when they started off.
From Luck at the Diamond Fields by Belgrave, Dalrymple J.
Next morning we were inspanned and on our way by dawn.
From Adventures in Swaziland The Story of a South African Boer by O'Neil, Owen Rowe
“In an hour’s time I shall want the horses inspanned, John.”
From Grit Lawless by Young, F.E. Mills
Late in the afternoon the team was driven up and once more inspanned.
From Lodges in the Wilderness by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)
Whilst we were hastily inspanning and upsaddling, Theron came in from the right, bringing with him a captured Hussar.
From With Steyn and De Wet by Pienaar, Philip
Four burghers came to escort him out, and they have off-saddled while the predikant is inspanning.
From Aletta A Tale of the Boer Invasion by Mitford, Bertram
The loading of the waggons was simple enough, but when it came to inspanning it was another matter.
From Three Years' War by De Wet, Christiaan Rudolf
For miles and miles men were quickly at work sinking holes into the ground; camp-fires were flaming; teamsters were inspanning and outspanning their oxen, and wagons were creaking.
From Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania by Gilson, Jewett Castello
But any attempt at inspanning was very promptly frustrated.
From The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley by Mitford, Bertram
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.
