▪ I. ‖ spado1
[Lat. spado, ad. Gr. σπάδων eunuch. Cf. spade n.4]
A eunuch; a castrated person.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 166 Whan that spado lovithe paramouris. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 124 They live longest in every kinde that exercise it not at all, and this is true not onely in Eunuches by nature, but spadoes by Art. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 207 Castrated animals in any kind & Spado's by Art, live longer then they that retain their Virilities. |
▪ II. ‖ spado2 Obs.
[ad. It. spada or Sp. espada:—L. spatha, ad. Gr. σπάθη: see spade n.1 and n.2]
A cut-and-thrust sword.
| 1711 E. Ward Quix. I. 105 Drawing forth his Trusty Spado Which was a Rusty old Toledo. 1751 Narr. of H.M.S. ‘Wager’ 9 Every Fellow has his Spado or Dagger that he struts about with. 1785 G. A. Bellamy Apology (ed. 3) II. 9 The Spaniard..seemed glad to have an opportunity of laying by his long spado for some hours every day. |