† suspiral Obs.
Also 5–6 suspyral, -all(e, -irall(e, suspirel, 6 sesperal, susprall, cesperalle.
[a. OF. s(o)uspirail (mod.F. soupirail) = Pr. sospiralh, ad. med.L. suspīrāculum, f. suspīrāre to suspire + -culum, denoting instrument.]
1. A breathing-passage.
| c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xxxi. 80 This neck shalle be the suspyralle wherby the brethe shalle be drawen bothe to comforte of the hede and eke of al the body. |
2. A vent, esp. for a conduit.
| c 1430 in Lond. & Middlesex Archæol. Trans. (1870) III. 321 This suspirall seruith for thes ij pipes. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 485 Suspyral, of a cundyte, spiraculum. 1562 in Strype Stow's Surv. (1755) II. v. xxi. 411 No man shall..destroy any pipes Sesperals or Wind-vents pertaining to the Conduits. |
3. A pipe or passage for water leading to a conduit.
| 1420 Cov. Leet Bk. 21 Ordinatum fuit quod les Suspirales..deleantur et obstupantur. 1426 Ibid. 105 That no welles nor suspiralles, other then ben ordeyned, shuld be had to let the comen Cours of the seid Cundyte. 1543–4 Act 35 Hen. VIII, c. 10 To vewe..the said Heddes pipes suspiralles and vaultes, and them to amend repaire translate. [1656 Blount Glossogr., Suspiral,..In the Statute of 35 Hen. 8. Cap. 10. it seems to be taken for a Spring of water, passing under the ground, towards a Conduit or Cestern.] |
4. A settling tank; a cesspool.
| c 1512 in Archaeologia (1902) LVIII. 301 In þe same diche boþ⊇ þ⊇ suspirel & þe waste pipe awoyde ther water in a gotir of breke. Ibid. 302 In the botome of this well undir a stone is a susprall w{supt} a tampioun to clense the home pype. 1583 in N. Bacon Ann. Ipswiche (1884) 337 Cesperalle to be made for stopping of filthe by the brooke. |