▪ I. spang, n.1
Also 5–6 spange.
[Probably ad. MDu. spange (spaenge, Du. spang), = OHG. spanga (MHG. and G. spange), OS. *spanga (see sense 3), OFris. *spange (NFris. spung, spōng), ON. spang-, spǫng (Norw. spong; MSw. and MDa. spang) clasp, buckle, brooch, spangle, etc.]
† 1. A small glittering ornament; a spangle. Obs.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. xlvii, A chaplet fresch of hewe, Off plumys..Full of quaking spangis bryght as gold. 1480 Wardr. Acc. Edw. IV (1830) 115, vj coursour harneis..embrowdered and wroght with..spanges of silver and gilt. c 1534 in Lewis Life Fisher (1855) II. 297 A swett of vestments of rede clothe of gold with spangs and crossys in the myddyst. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 76 The same horse Harneis were sette full of tremblyng spanges. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. iii. Wks. 1856 I. 34 The other glistering copper spangs That glisten in the tyer of the Court. 1616 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems, Urania iii, To spreade the azure Canopie of Heauen, And make it twinckle all with Spanges of Gold. 1625 Bacon Ess., Masques & Triumphs (Arb.) 540 And Oes, or Spangs, as they are of no great Cost, so they are of most Glory. |
2. techn. A stain. (See quot.)
| 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 136 The stains which come out upon maddered goods, in consequence of defective bleaching, are called in this country spangs. |
3. arch. A clasp or buckle.
After OE. spang, occurring once in the OS. part of Genesis (l. 445).
| 1892 Brooke Early Eng. Lit. II. xxii. 106 [He] Set on's head a hollow helm, and..Spanned it down with spangs. |
▪ II. spang, n.2 Chiefly Sc. and north.
(spæŋ)
[Cf. spang v.2 In 1 b perh. purely imitative.]
1. A jerk; a sudden and violent movement of a thing. Also in phr. to play spang.
| 1513 Douglas æneid v. ix. 59 Acestes..Schawand his craft and his big bowis mycht, That lowsit of the takil with a spang. Ibid. vii. ix. 50 The flayne flaw fast wyth ane spang fra the string. a 1657 Sir W. Mure Hist. Ho. Rowallane Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 253 The king.., as he offered swa to doe, dang out his eye with the spang of ane Cocle⁓shell. 1826 J. Wilson Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1855 I. 134, I wadna grudge geein a jug o' toddy to see ane play spang upon you frae a distance o' twenty yards. |
b. A sound resulting from such movement.
| 1883 G. C. Davies Norfolk Broads xxiii. 160 We heard a loud spang behind us, and on turning round saw a large mullet floundering in the jolly. |
† 2. A fillip; a smart rap. Obs. rare.
| 1595 Duncan App. Etym. (E.D.S.), Talitrum, a spang, a chicknawd. 1710 Ruddiman Gloss. Douglas' æneis s.v. |
3. a. A spring, a bound, a leap.
| 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxviii, Set roasted beef and pudding on the opposite side o' the pit o' Tophet, and an Englishman will mak a spang at it. 1842 J. Wilson Chr. North (1857) I. 26 See, see how Tickler clears that twenty-feet moss-hag at a single spang like a bird. 1894 Crockett Raiders iv. 39 Jerry..came up the hill in great spangs. |
b. A strong kick.
| 1863 Reade Hard Cash xli, He went swinging by the rope back to the main stem of the tree, gave it a fierce spang with his feet, and..got an inch nearer the window. 1867 P. Kennedy Banks Boro xl. 307 You're like our miel cow that gives a pail full of milk, and then spills all with a spang of her foot. |
4. The spring-pole of a centre lathe. ? Obs.
| 1797 Encyl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVIII. 608/1 The two ends of the cord, both that which is fixed to the spang and to the foot-board. |
▪ III. † spang, n.3 Obs.
[Of doubtful origin: cf. ON. spang-, spǫng (Norw. spong; MSw. spang, Sw. spång) narrow bridge, perh. identical with spang n.1]
A narrow strip (of land or ground).
| 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. ii. 220 The West part of it joyneth to the East side by a very small spange of land. 1747 in Rep. Comm. Inq. Charities (1830) XXVIII. 145 A small spang of ground. |
▪ IV. † spang, v.1 Obs.
[f. spang n.1 Cf. G. spängen, MHG. spengen, ON. spengja, to stud, etc.]
trans. To spangle; to ornament as with spangles.
| 1552 in Money Par. Ch. Goods Berks. (1879) 8 Redd veluett spanged with gould. 1590 R. Wilson Three Lords Lond. G iij, Queene Junoe's Bird, Whose traine is spangd with Argus hundred eies. 1595 Barnfield Cassandra D iij b, A Hunters hat, Of crimson veluet, spangd with stars of gold. 1621 Sandys Ovid's Met. ii. (1626) 224 Night spangs the skie with starres. |
▪ V. spang, v.2 orig. and chiefly Sc. and north.
(spæŋ)
[Of obscure origin.]
1. intr. To spring, leap, bound; to move rapidly. Also with cognate object (quot. 1684). Also fig.
| 1513 Douglas æneid v. ix. 29 Ȝoung Hippocaon..A quhidderand arrow leit spang fra the string. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 145 Ouir dykes and dubis..they sould spang and leip. Ibid. 163 King Gald selfe..spangis vpe on horse back. 1684 Yorks. Dial. 39 (E.D.S.), Lett's spang our geates [= ways], for it is varra snithe. 17.. Ramsay To R. Yarde 97 But when they spang o'er reason's fence, We smart for 't at our ain expence. a 1779 D. Graham Hist. Buck-Haven iii. (1782) 21 Rob spang'd and jump'd over the boat several times. 1816 Scott Old Mort. vii, An I could but hae gotten some decent claes in, I wad hae spanged out o' bed. 1833 J. Rennie Alph. Angling p. xiv, The trout slipped off, spanged down the bank, and in an instant..was lost. 1966 If, Worlds of Sci. Fiction Dec. 39/2 [He] kneed the screen door open so that it spanged against the outside wall. 1976 L. Sanders Hamlet Warning (1977) xix. 165 A stream of bullets spanged off the metal around him. 1979 Observer 4 Feb. 4/7 We shared champagne and Coke with the nurses. Thank God spanged out on all sides. |
2. trans. To cast, throw, jerk, bang. Also const. about, down, up.
| 1513 Douglas æneid xii. vi. 76 His swyft stedis hovis..Spangit vp the bludy sparkis our the bent. 1662 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials III. 607 We haw no bow to shoot with, but spang them from of the naillis of our thowmbes. 1678 J. Brown Life of Faith (1824) I. vii. 134 If the enemy did but spang his fingers end on you, as we say, it struck a knell to his heart. 1856 Reade Never too Late lxv, She came up to the table with a fantastic spring and spanged down the sparkling mass on it. 1864– in Yorks. and Linc. dial. use. |
3. In combs., as spang-cockle, -toad.
| 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. 432 Spang-tade, a deadly trick played on the poor toad. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xi, ‘Can you play at spang-cockle, my lord?’ said the Prince, placing a nut on the second joint of his fore⁓finger, and spinning it off by a smart application of the thumb. |
Hence spanging-tree = spang n.2 4.
| 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVIII. 607/2 One of the most simple kinds of lathe,..in which a is the footstool,..f the spanging-tree. |
▪ VI. † spang, v.3 Obs. rare.
[app. an alteration of span v.2]
trans. To attach or yoke (horses).
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Atteler les chevaux, to spang horses, or fasten them to the chariote. 1600 Surflet Countrie Farme v. x. 674 There are required..three horses to a plough,..but not so coupled and spanged as..where they vse to plow with mares. 1625 J. Wodroephe Marrow Fr. Tongue 174 Haue you spanged (or yoaked) my horses to the chariot? |
▪ VII. spang, adv. orig. and chiefly U.S.
[Cf. spang v.2]
With a sudden spring or impetus; slap, smack. right spang, entirely, quite; exactly, fair.
| 1843–8 in Thornton Amer. Gloss. s.v. 1884 J. C. Harris Nights Uncle Remus 196 He drapt right spang in de middle er de fier. 1901 Munsey's Mag. XXIV. 806/2 Crack went the trigger, and spang went the ball. 1921 D. Canfield Brimming Cup i. v. 65 The brooks were..all running spang full to the very edge with snow⁓water. 1925 Wodehouse Sam the Sudden xiii. 91 If he thinks a young bride's going to stand for that sort of conduct right plumb spang in the middle of what you might call the honeymoon, [etc.]. 1936 M. Mitchell Gone with Wind xxxii. 547 So you needs a spang new pretty dress. 1962 Punch 26 Dec. 943/1 With its superb flair for the nostalgic and traditional the BBC has put this year's Christmas spang in the middle of its dramatised version of The Old Curiosity Shop. 1971 ‘D. Cory’ Sunburst xiii. 212 Will you look at that?.. Spang in the middle of the bloody road. |