▪ I. spaniel, n.1 (and a.)
(ˈspænjəl)
Forms: α. 4–5 spaynel, 5–6 -ell (5 -yel, 6 -iel). β. 5 spanȝelle, -ȝeall, 6 -ȝell, -ȝeoll; 5–6 spanyel(l, 6 -yelle, spannyell, -iell, 7 -iel, 6–7 spaniell, 7 spaniele, spani'el, 6– spaniel. γ. 5 spayngyel, spanegeole, spangel, 6–7 -gell. δ. 5 speygn-, spaygn-, spaignol, 6 spaignell, 7 spagnel. ε. 6 span(n)el, 7 span(n)ell, 9 dial. or vulgar spanil.
[ad. OF. espaignol, espaigneul (mod.F. épagneul) ‘Spanish dog’: see Spaniel n.2 So MDu. spanjoel, -goel, spaelgoen, etc.]
1. A variety of dog characterized by large drooping ears, long silky hair, keen scent, and affectionate nature, some breeds of which are used for sporting purposes, esp. for starting and retrieving game, while others are favourite pet- or toy-dogs.
| α c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 267 For, as a spaynel, she wol on hym lepe. c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xvi, A goode spaynel shulde not be to rough, but his taile shulde be rough. 1425 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 298/1 By þe Rees of a Spaynell, þere was on a nyght taken..a man. 1484 Caxton Fables of Poge iv, A fayr yong man..whiche..had with hym two fayre spaynels. |
| β c 1450 Bk. Hawking in Rel. Ant. I. 297 Lete the spanyell flusch up the covey. 1489 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 112 Joly Johne..that brocht ij spanȝeallis to the King. 1519 Presentm. Juries in Surtees Misc. (1890) 32 That no man kepe no hown, grewand, nor spanȝell. 1557 R. Edgeworth Serm. vi. 56 It is natural..to a spaniel to be gentle & familiar. 1589 ? Lyly Pappe w. Hatchet E ij, There is not a better Spanniell in England to spring a couie. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. Democr. to Rdr. 4 Like a ranging Spaniel that barkes at euery bird hee sees. 1675 Cocker Morals (1694) 5 Beware of that sly Sycophant's Dogg-Tricks, Who, like a Spanniel flatters, fawns, and licks. 1704 Pope Windsor For. 99 Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds. 1789 Wolcot (P. Pindar) Expost. Ode xi. Wks. 1812 II. 239 Like crouching Spaniels, down black Lords must lie, Whene'er admitted to the Royal eye. 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports §2550 The varieties of the spaniel are numerous... A popular distinction made between them by many writers is into springers, cockers, and water spaniels. 1877 Encycl. Brit. VII. 328 The Spaniel is the favourite of the sportsman. |
| γ c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) Prol., First y will begynn at Racches..and after at Spayngyels. c 1425 Seven Sages (P.) 1448, I hadde a spangel good of plyght. 1533 Presentm. Juries in Surtees Misc. (1890) 33 Neither hownde, spangell, ne grewend. |
| δ 14.. Master of Game (MS. Royal 17. B. xli) xvi, Off Houndes that men calle Spaygnell. 1553 [see 1 c]. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 107 Some are smaller which are called Hounds,..House-curs, Spagnels both for the Water and Land. |
| ε 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie Prol., The calling Spanels quest. 1589 Gold. Mirr. (1851) 51, I calde my Spannels, and to the field I went. 1616 Surfl. & Markham Countrey Farme 679 When you make choice of any spannell, you shall chuse him by his shape, beautie, mettall, and cunning hunting. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia vi. 232 Hauing a mastiue Bitch and a Spanell with them. 1640 Gent Knave in Gr. i. i. B iv, I think I am little kin to a Spannell, the more I am beaten, the better I affect. |
b. With distinguishing terms to denote different varieties or breeds, as
Alpine spaniel,
Blenheim spaniel,
English spaniel,
King Charles spaniel,
Norfolk (etc.) spaniel. Also
† spaniel gentle (see first
quot.).
See also
land-spaniel land n.1 11 b,
water-spaniel.
| 1576 Fleming tr. Caius' Dogs (1880) 14 Of the delicate neate, and pretty kind of dogges called the Spaniel gentle, or the comforter, in Latine Melitæus. 1778 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2) III. 1618/2 They [Canis Hispaniolus] are still distinguished by the name of English Spaniels. 1833 W. H. Maxwell Field Bk. 497 King Charles's spaniel, Can[is] brevipilis. Ibid., The hunting spaniel or cocker..,Can[is] index. Ibid., The Alpine spaniel. 1845 Youatt Dog 44 The King Charles's Spaniel, so called from the fondness of Charles II for it,..belongs likewise to the cockers. Ibid. 45 The Norfolk Spaniel. Ibid., The Blenheim Spaniel. Ibid. 51 The Alpine Spaniel, or Bernardine Dog, is a breed almost peculiar to the Alps. 1894 Daily News 11 Apr. 6/4 There are the usual number of King Charles, ruby spaniels, and Italian greyhounds. |
† c. In allusive use.
Obs.| 1553 Respublica (Brandl) i. iii. 187 Adul[acio]. Doe but whistle for me, and I comme foorth with all... Avar[icia]. Y{supt} is myne owne good spaignell Rigg. a 1553 Udall Royster D. ii. iii. (Arb.) 36 Ye shall see hir glide and swimme, Not lumperdee clumperdee like our spaniell Rig. 1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 43 Fate is a spaniel that you cannot beate from you. 1605 1st Pt. Jeronimo i. iii. 1 Come, my soules spaniell, my lifes ietty substance, Whats thy name? 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. iii. 126 You play the Spaniell, And thinke with wagging of your tongue to win me. |
2. fig. a. One who pries into, or searches out, something.
| 1562 Pilkington Expos. Abdyas 56 The papistes..be diligent spayniels to seek al wayes possible to set up that vyle podell of idolatrie. 1646 Quarles Sheph. Oracles Egl. iv. Wks. (Grosart) III. 214/1 These are the generous Spaniels that retrive Imperiall Crownes, and swallow Kings alive. 1647 Cleveland Char. Lond.-Diurn. 2 Suteable to their plots are their Informers; Skippers and Taylours; Spaniells both for the Land and the Water. |
b. A submissive, cringing, or fawning person.
| 1592 Nobody & Someb. in Simpson Sch. Shaks. (1878) I. 315 Time was, base spaniell, thou didst fawne as much On me, as now thou strivest to flatter her. 1598 Barnfield Compl. Poetrie Poems (Arb.) 102 And herein happie, I areade the poore; No flattring Spanyels fawne on them for meate. 1600 Heywood 1st Pt. Edw. IV, i. i, I, I, you are the Spaniels of the court. 1848 Dickens Dombey xlvi, Have you nothing, Spaniel, to complain of in him? 1852 Whittier Astræa iii, Perish shall all which makes A spaniel of the man! |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
spaniel bitch,
spaniel dog,
spaniel eye,
spaniel group, etc.;
spaniel-eyed adj.;
spaniel-like adj. and
adv.;
spanielship, a state of mean or fawning submission.
| 1687 Miége Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, A *Spaniel-bitch. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxxvii, A black spaniel bitch. |
| c 1620 Z. Boyd Zion's Flowers (1855) 25 The *spaniel dog he loves his Masters eye. 1694 Acc. Sev. Late Voy. (1711) I. 17 They were as big as an ordinary Spaniel-dog. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xi, A little French spaniel dog sat beside them. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. viii, Little Beatrix..sat at the farther end of the room..playing with a spaniel dog. |
| 1958 M. Kelly Christmas Egg iii. 125 Brett could well imagine his assumed *spaniel eyes of reproach. 1975 T. Allbeury Special Collection xi. 79 Felinski wondered what women would make of those liquid, spaniel eyes. |
| 1963 P. Fleming Kolchak vii. 84 A plump, *spaniel-eyed, ineffective little man. |
| 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports §2538 The *spaniel group includes the setter, the common spaniel, the Newfoundland dog, and the retriever. |
| c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xvi, Of the *Spaynell Houndes. |
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. ii. 14 Yet (*Spaniel-like) the more she spurnes my loue, The more it..fawneth on her still. 1834 Tait's Mag. I. 385/2 The mere spaniel-like instinct of obedience. |
| 1833 W. H. Maxwell Field Bk. 497 The name of the *spaniel race. |
| 1832 Carlyle Misc. (1872) IV. 77 His devout Discipleship seemed nothing more than a mean *Spanielship. |
b. Passing into
adj. in the sense ‘meanly submissive, cringing, fawning’, etc.
| 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. i. 43 Low-crooked-curtsies, and base Spaniell fawning. 1606 Dekker Double P.P. Wks. (Grosart) II. 172 He..can creepe into credit,..And (by his Spaniell-fawning) saue his neck. 1681 Dryden Epil. to Lee's P'cess Cleves 13 The Spaniel Lover, like a sneaking Fop, Lies at our Feet. 1796 Southey Hymn to Penates Poet. Wks. 1837 II. 277 A spaniel race That lick the hand that beats them, or tear all Alike in frenzy. 1875 Tennyson Q. Mary iii. iii, These spaniel-Spaniard English of the time. |
▪ II. spaniel, v. rare.
(
ˈspænjəl)
[f. spaniel n.1] a. intr. (also with
it). To act like a spaniel; to be meanly submissive or subservient.
b. trans. To follow, or fawn upon, like a spaniel.
| 1599 Porter Angry Wom. Abingt. (Percy Soc.) 101 How he would spaniell it, and shake himselfe when he comes out of the pond! 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. xii. 21 The hearts That pannelled [Hanmer (1743–4) emend. spaniel'd] me at heeles, to whom I gaue Their wishes. 1763 Churchill Conference 4 Let Fortune change, and Prudence changes too, Supple and pliant a new system feels, Throws up her Cap, and spaniels at his heels. 1812 W. Tennant Anster F. (1814) i. xvi. 4 By such a pack of men, in am'rous quest, Fawningly spaniel'd to bestow her hand. 1924 Galsworthy Forest ii. i. 33 Devoted to him; spaniels round him all the time. 1958 ‘W. Henry’ Seven Men at Mimbres Springs vii. 80 With that reference to the gun, Sparhawk began spanielling again, obsequious as ever. |