▪ I. † spert Obs.
Also 5–6 sperte.
[OE. sperte, spirte, spyrte, ad. L. sporta basket.]
1. A basket used for holding articles or for catching fish.
| c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. xv. 37 Þara ᵹebroca [hie] ᵹenomen siofun sperta fulle. a 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 402 Spyrte bið..of rixum ᵹebroden, oððe of palm-twyᵹum. c 1000 Colloq. ælfric in Wr.-Wülcker 93 Hu ᵹefehst þu fixas?.. Ic wyrpe..spyrtan and swa hwæt swa hiᵹ ᵹehæftað ic ᵹenime. 1406 in Essex Rev. (1904) April 74 [Putting] spertes [and other fish-catching devices into the lord's river]. |
2. A species of willow or osier.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 744 That which hath reddish barke, is called..in English Red Withy, and the better sort thereof is called Red Sperte. Ibid., The small lowe Withy is called..the Sperte or twigge Withy. 1611 Cotgr., Siler, the hearbe..Hartwort; some also call Spert, or the Osier Withie, so. |
▪ II. spert(e
varr. spirt n. Obs.