▪ I. ˈoutˌspan, n.1 S. Africa.
[f. outspan v.1]
The action of outspanning or unyoking; the time or place of outspanning or encampment.
| 1822 W. J. Burchell Trav. S. Afr. I. iv. 92 These uitspan, or outspan places, are, in fact, the caravanserays of the Cape. 1844 Colburn's United Service Mag. May 23 Outspan,..place of rest, where the oxen are unyoked and turned out to graze. 1852 Blackw. Mag. LXXI. 294 You take a stroll with your gun during the ‘out-span’. 1885 W. Greswell in Macm. Mag. Feb. 284/2 An extemporised lunch at a well-known outspan, consisting of many veldt dainties. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 1 Nov. 4/3 Every town has a public outspan, where cattle can graze and travellers stop for the night. |
| attrib. 1872 Routledge's Ev. Boy's Ann. 339/2 After reaching our outspan ground. 1884 Chr. World 21 Feb. 134/3 A walk round about the outspan places was interesting. |
▪ II. ˈoutˌspan, n.2
[out- 7: cf. outspan v.2]
The extended or outstretched span (of an arch).
| 1887 Browning Parleyings, B. de Mandeville x, Earth's centre and sky's outspan, all's informed Equally by sun's efflux. |
▪ III. outspan, v.1 S. Afr.
(ˈaʊtˌspæn)
[ad. Du. uitspannen, f. uit adv., out + spannen to span, stretch, bend, put horses to.]
To unyoke or unhitch oxen from a wagon; to unharness horses; hence, to encamp. a. intr. b. trans.
| a. 1824 W. J. Burchell Trav. I. 52 They very frequently unyoke, or outspan, as it is called, at Salt River. 1850 R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. (ed. 2) I. 59, I marched right through the town and outspanned about a quarter of a mile beyond it. 1893 F. C. Selous Trav. S.E. Africa 10 We outspanned near a Boer farm. |
| b. 1866 Port Eliz. Telegr. 6 Nov., Found guilty of stealing twenty reims..from a wagon..outspanned at the North⁓end. 1883 J. Mackenzie Day-dawn in Dark places 8 The six waggons, when ‘outspanned’ for the night, were drawn near to each other. |
Hence ˈoutˌspanned ppl. a., -ˌspanning vbl. n.
| 1893 Month Feb. 197 He was standing by the out-spanned wagon. 1899 Strand Mag. Mar. 270/1 [He] pointed..to the outspanned bullocks. 1894 H. Nisbet Bush Girl's Rom. p. iii, I do not think we forget these ‘out-spannings’ while we are driving our cattle in other directions. |
▪ IV. outˈspan, v.2 rare.
[out- 14, 17.]
a. intr. To stretch out or extend in span, as an arch. b. trans. To extend beyond the span of.
| 1882 H. S. Holland Logic & Life (1885) 254 The lines of connection..lose themselves, vanish, outspan our sight. 1884 Skrine Under Two Queens i. 18 When the storm-rack drives leeward, the rainbow outspanneth. |