▪ I. sprote1 Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 1 sprota, 4–5, 9 sprote, 5, 9 sprot, 9 spro(o)at.
[Common Teut.: OE. sprota, = MDu. sprote, sproot (Du. sport), MLG. sprote, sprate, OHG. sprozzo (MHG. sprozze, G. sprosse), ON. sproti, related to sprout v. OE. had also sprot neut., which may be partly represented in the later form with short vowel.]
† 1. A shoot, sprout, twig, rod. Obs.
| c 1050 in Wr.-Wülcker 378 Clauus, næᵹl oððe sprota. a 1100 in Napier O.E. Glosses 83 Sarmentorum, sprotena. a 1300 Havelok 1142, I ne haue hws, y ne haue cote, Ne I ne haue stikke, y ne haue sprote. c 1425 Noah's Ark in Non-Cycle Mystery Plays 22 For I have neither ruff nor ryff, Spyer, sprund, sprout, no sprot [rime boat]. c 1460 Townley Myst. ii. 290, I wold that it were in thi throte, Fyr, & shefe, and ich a sprote. |
b. pl. Small sticks or twigs; bits of branches blown from trees. Also sprote-wood.
| 1825 in Jamieson Suppl. 1847 in Halliwell. 1854– in dial. glossaries (Northampt., Yks., Sc.). |
2. A chip, shiver, or splinter.
Freq. c 1400, in phr. in, into, on sprotes.
| c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxii. 238 The Tronchouns flen in sprotes and peces alle aboute the Halle. c 1400 Destr. Troy 5783 Speiris into sprottes spronge ouer hede. c 1400 Sege Jerus. (E.E.T.S.) 554 Spakly her speres on sprotes þey ȝeden. |
| 1825 Jamieson Suppl., Sprot, a chip of wood, flying from the tool of a carpenter. |
▪ II. † sprote2 Obs.
[= MLG. (and LG.) sprote, sprute, MDu. sproete (Du. sproet), G. sprosse, † sprusse, perhaps related to prec.]
A spot on the skin; a freckle. Hence † sproted ppl. a., spotted. Obs.
| a 1400–50 Stockholm Med. MS. 145 A good watir to purgyn a mannys face of sprotys. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 233 Eyen that bene whit y-freklet, or i-sprotid, or blake. |