▪ I. † sprenge, n. Obs.—1
[f. next.]
Sprinkling.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 287 Sprenge [v.r. spryngyng] of salt on þis flour is wisdom þat man haþ to serve God in clennesse. |
▪ II. sprenge, v. Obs. exc. arch. in pa. tense and pple.
Pa. tense and pple. sprent. Forms: inf. 1 sprengan, sprængan, 3–5 sprengen, 4–5 sprenge (5 spreinge). pa. tense 1 sprengde, 3 spreinde, 4 sprende, spreynte, 5, 7 sprent. pa. pple. α. 3 y-sprengd(e, 3–4 i-sprengde, 4 i-sprenged; 4 sprengde, sprengd, 4–6 sprenged, 5 sprengid(e, spreyngde. β. 3 i-spreind(e, 4 y-spreynd, y-spraind, spreind(e, 4–5 spreynd(e, spreyned, 5 spreined; 4–5 spreynt(e, 5 spreinte, 5, 7 spreint. γ. 4 sprende, 5 sprenct, 5–7 sprente, 5–7, 9 sprent, 6 sprant.
[OE. spręngan (:—*sprangjan, f. the pret. stem of springan spring v.), = OFris. *sprenga (EFris. spræng, NFris. sprêng), *sprenza (WFris. springzje), MDu. and Du. sprengen, OHG. sprengan (MHG. and G. sprengen), ON. and Icel. sprengja (MSw. sprängia, Sw. spränga, Da. sprænge) to cause to spring, to sprinkle, etc. Cf. besprenge v.]
1. trans. To sprinkle (a liquid, etc.). Also absol.
| a 941 Laws Athelstan in Thorpe Laws I. 226 Sprænge se mæsse-preost haliᵹ-wæter ofer hiᵹ ealle. c 1000 ælfric Lev. iv. 17 Nime se sacerd his blod, and dyppe his finger þær on, and sprenge seofon siðon on þæt ryft. 1382 Wyclif Isaiah lxiii. 3 Sprengd is the blod of hem vp on my clothis. c 1386 Chaucer Cook's T. 503 Gamelyn sprengeth holy-water with an oken spire. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy iv. 3668 For she sawe blood spreint so cruelly On hir lordis dredful garnement. a 1536 Songs, Carols, etc. (1907) 69 The blode..Was sprente on þe people. 1591 Wilmot Tancred & Gismund v. i, The bloud..Sprent on his corps, and on his paled face. |
b. To scatter, disperse, distribute, spread abroad or about, etc. Also absol.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxv. 24 Þu ripst þær ðu ne seowe & gaderast þær ðu ne sprengdest. a 1225 Ancr. R. 92 Wuteð to soðe þet euer so þe wittes beoð more ispreinde utwardes, se heo lesse wendet inwardes. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2542 Misbileue in to al þis lond among men was ysprengd. 1382 Wyclif Eccl. iii. 5 Time of sprenging abrod stones, and time of gadering togidere. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1311 A fewe freknes in his face y-spreynd. 1642 H. More Song of Soul ii. App. xlviii, What then shall hinder but a roscid air With gentle heat eachwhere be 'sperst and sprent. 1834 Ld. Houghton Mem. Many Scenes (1844) 30 The diligent flock Tracks out the scant grass that is sprent on the rock. 1855 Singleton Virgil I. 316 Snowy Paros, and, sprent o'er the main, The Cyclades. |
† c. To produce by sprinkling. Obs.—1
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 319 A swyþe foul þing is þat sed of ȝwan Man is i-spreind [v.r. þat man is mid i-sprenged]. |
2. To sprinkle (a person or thing) with some liquid. Also fig.
| c 1000 ælfric Exod. xxiv. 8 He nam þæt blod and sprengde þæt folc. Ibid. xxix. 21 Þu sprengst Aaron and his reaf. a 1225 Ancr. R. 16 Hwon ȝe beoð al greiðe sprengeð ou mid hali water. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 202 Þe prior spreinde [v.r. sprende] him with holi water. c 1325 Prose Psalter l. 8 Þou sprengest me, Lord, wyþ þy mercy. 1382 Wyclif Ps. l. 9 Thou shal sprenge me, Lord, with isope, and I shal ben clensid. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvii. vii. 699 A grete company of angels..took water whiche was broughte by an angel..and sprente alle the shyp. 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. ix. vi. 352 By nyghte somer bredyth dewe..and sprengyth [Bodl. MS. springeþ] therwyth grasse and herbes. 1578 T. Procter Gorg. Gallery in Heliconia (1815) I. 46 For fate..My youthly Yeares with tears hath sprent. |
| absol. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3291 Þer-wiþ sche mellede vynegre anon..þar þat fyr was setled on þe walle; oueral þer-with sche spreynte. |
† b. To cleanse by or as by sprinkling. rare.
| 1382 Wyclif Heb. x. 22 We, spreynt [v.r. sprengd] the hertis fro yuel conscience,..holde the confessioun of oure hope. [1388 Be oure hertis spreined fro an yuel conscience.] |
3. In pa. pple. and const. with: Besprinkled, besprent.
| 1382 Wyclif Numb. vii. 19 A silueren fiole..ful of tryed flour spreynt with oyle. c 1400 N. Love Bonavent. Mirr. i. (1908) 265 The crosse of oure lorde that was than spreyned with his preciouse..blood. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn vi. 25 The gentyl mayde..ful sprenct wyth grete teerys. 1540–54 Croke 13 Ps. (Percy Soc.) 6 My bed with tears is over sprent. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. ii. 18 Streames of bloud did rayle Adowne,..That all the ground with purple bloud was sprent. 1600 Holland Livy iv. xiv. 149 Being spreint with his bloud thus slaine. a 1618 Sylvester Maiden's Blush 516 Hee teares his hoary haire, With Ashes sprent. [1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Sprent, bespattered, splashed with dirt.] |
b. With reference to colour.
| 1382 Wyclif Gen. xxx. 39 The sheep shulden..beere spotty, and speckid, and spreyned with dyuers colour. 1552 Inv. Ch. Surrey (1869) 88 A vestment of blewe velvyt with a crosse of redde velvyt sprenged with gold. c 1563 Thersytes in Hazl. Dodsley I. 425 The spere of spanysshe spylbery sprente w{supt} spiteful spottes. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 45 Other where the snowy substaunce [was] sprent With vermell. 1867 M. Arnold Thyrsis Poems (1877) II. 216 The cheek grown thin, the brown hair sprent with grey. 1883 R. Bridges Prometheus 1146 Gay-spun garments sprent with gold. |
c. In fig. use.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. (1868) 42 Þe swetnesse of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid [sic] wiþ manye bitternesses. c 1386 ― Man of Law's T. 422 To worldly blisse spreynd with bitternesse. ? a 1450 Lydg. Ord. of Fools (Cott.) 30 Tonge spreynte with suger, the galle kepte secrete. 1513 Douglas æneid iv. i. 43 Quhar that our hous with broderis deid wes sprent. |
Hence † sprenged ppl. a., † ˈsprenging vbl. n.
| 1382 Wyclif Exod. xii. 34 Thanne the puple tok sprengid meel, or it were sowrid. ― Num. xix. 9 Thei ben to the multitude..into water of sprengynge. ― 1 Pet. i. 2 In to halewinge of the spirit, in to obedience, and sprengynge of the blood of Jhesu Crist, grace and pees to ȝou be multiplied. |
▪ III. sprenge
obs. f. spring, springe n.