inspan, v. S. African.
(ɪnˈspæn)
[a. Du. inspann-en, f. in adv. in + spannen to span, stretch, bend, put horses to.]
a. trans. To yoke (oxen, horses, etc.) in a team to a vehicle; to harness (a wagon).
| 1834 T. Bowker Jrnl. 25 Dec. in Towards Dict. S. Afr. Eng. (Dict. S. Afr. Eng. Dict. Committee) (1971) 43 Arrive at [M]erais after sunset find the waggons inspanned ready for going away. 1838 F. Owen Diary (1926) 118 At length, our oxen being inspanned, the waggon being loaded with the chief necessaries belonging to both families..we left the station. 1852 Blackw. Mag. LXXI. 294 (Cape Colony) At noon, the cattle, which have been turned out to graze, are ‘inspanned’, and the march continues. 1880 Sir S. Lakeman Kaffir-Land 36 The Hottentot drivers inspanned the bullocks. 1883 Olive Schreiner Story Afr. Farm ii. xii, The waggon..stood ‘in-spanned’ before the door. 1886 F. H. H. Guillemard Cruise ‘Marchesa’ I. 191 The agent of the Alaska Commercial Company had kindly provided us with dog-sledges, and we found them ‘inspanned’ and waiting for us. 1887 Rider Haggard Jess xxi, ‘Mouti’, said John to the Zulu, ‘inspan the horses’. |
| absol. 1863 Batowin's Hunting in Natal 182 Inspanned about 3 o'clock. 1893 F. C. Selous Trav. S.E. Africa 93, I determined to inspan and hold on my course to the south. |
b. fig. or
transf.| 1914 Kipling in Georg. Jrnl. Apr. 373 One man, apparently without effort, inspans the human equivalent of ‘three blind 'uns and a bolter’ and makes them do miracles. 1928 Sunday Express 8 July 10/5 There are hundreds of keen young players with the player's eyesight available for this lining business. Is it beyond the wit and the capacity of the Wimbledon authorities to inspan them? 1939 R. Campbell Flowering Rifle i. 15 Our great Victory,..in her car, Which all the way from Portugal to France She inspans in her thundering advance. 1949 Cape Times 13 Sept. 8/9 To rescue the Coloured man, all forces will have to be inspanned to raise him economically. 1971 Rand Daily Mail 29 June 15 Why, Mrs Barton often gets on the telephone and inspans private householders to help out. |
Hence
inˈspanning vbl. n.; also
ˈinspan n., the act of inspanning.
| 1879 R. J. Atcherley Trip Boërland 62, I had been sound asleep at the time of inspanning. Ibid. 68 We managed to get along until next morning's sunrise and inspan. 1887 Rider Haggard Jess ix, John went..to see the inspanning of the Cape cart. |