▪ I. † spigurnel1 Obs. rare.
[ad. med.L. spigurnella, of obscure origin and meaning. Cf. spignel.]
Some plant.
| a 1400 Stockholm Med. MS. 95 Spyggurnell mal and refamall. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 174 Spigurnella, g. et ang. spigurnelle uel freydele; mirabiliter ualet contra squinanciam;..angl. spinagre. |
▪ II. † spigurnel2 Obs. rare.
Also 7 spigurnell.
[ad. Anglo-L. spigurnellus (1314), spigornellus (1275), of obscure origin. ‘Godefridus Spigurnell’ was in the service of King John in 1207, and the office of espicurnantia is mentioned in a document, dated 1299, cited by Kennett.]
(See quots.)
It is evident that the word had no real currency in English, and its appearance is due to Camden and Holland, copied by Phillips, Blount, Harris, Bailey, etc.
| 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 312 These Bohuns (to note so much by the way for the antiquity of a word now growne out of use) were by inheritance for a good while the Kings Spigurnells, that is, the Sealeres of his writs. 1679 Blount Anc. Tenures 72 The Office of Spigurnel, or Sealer of the Kings Writs in Chancery. 1754 Pococke Trav. (Camden) II. 112 The Bohuns, who were the spigurnels or sealers of the king's writs. |