▪ I. sprangle, n. U.S.
(ˈspræŋg(ə)l)
[f. next.]
A branching rootlet; a ramification, a sprawl.
| 1896 Advance (Chicago) 21 May 738/1 Skepticism has its roots and spreads its feeding sprangles chiefly in the affections and the will. 1898 Ibid. 19 May 662/1 This [Philippine] archipelago lies upon the map a great sprangle of intermingled land and water. |
▪ II. sprangle, v. Now dial. and U.S.
(ˈspræŋg(ə)l)
[Of obscure origin: cf. sprantle v.]
1. intr. Of persons or animals: To struggle; to spread out the limbs, to sprawl.
| 14.. Sir Beues (MS. O) 3878 Good game had Sabere to sene, How they lay spranglynge on the grene. 1566 J. Partridge Plasidas (Roxb.) 105 There he layde his sprangling corps, almost deuoyde of breath. 1825 Jamieson Suppl., To Sprangle, to struggle; including the idea of making a spring to get away; Roxb[urghshire]. |
2. To straggle; to spread out in branches or ramifications.
| 1881 Oxfordsh. Gloss. (E.D.S.) 98 A lot o' gret spranggelin' cabbage. 1882 Cornh. Mag. May 580 Over its fence sprangles a squash-vine in ungainly joy. 1896 N. York Wkly. Witness 18 Nov. 3/3 The Mississippi sprangles as it nears the Gulf, as the great volume of water empties through three outlets. |
▪ III. † sprangle
alteration of sprankle v. Obs.
| 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. vii. lxiv. 279 In theym that haue the Lepra..the syght spranglyth. Ibid., Theyr eyen ben more spranglynge. |