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spancel - 4 dictionary results

span⋅cel

  [span-suhl] noun, verb, -celed, -cel⋅ing or (especially British) -celled, -cel⋅ling.
Use spancel in a Sentence
–noun
1. a noosed rope with which to hobble an animal, esp. a horse or cow.
–verb (used with object)
2. to fetter with or as with a spancel.
Origin:
1600–10; < LG spansel, deriv. of spannen to stretch; see span 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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span·cel   (spān'səl)   
n.  A rope used to hobble an animal, as a sheep.
tr.v.   span·celed or span·celled, span·cel·ing or span·cel·ling, span·cels
To hobble with a spancel.

[Dutch spansel, from spannen, to bind, harness; see span2.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Spancel

Span"cel\, n. [Perhaps span + AS. s[=a]l a rope.] A rope used for tying or hobbling the legs of a horse or cow. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.] --Grose.

Spancel

Span"cel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spanceledor Spancelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Spanceling or Spancelling.] To tie or hobble with a spancel. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.] --Malone.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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