▪ I. † spur-gall, n. Obs.
[f. next.]
A gall caused or produced by the spur. Also fig.
| 1655 T. White Obed. Gov. 117, I do not understand those spurgalls of honour, which disquiet their fiery humours. 1656 Heylin Surv. France 160 The very spur-gals had made such casements through their skin. |
▪ II. spur-gall, v. Obs. exc. arch.
Also 6–7 spurgal, 7 spurrgal, Sc. spurgaw.
[f. spur n.1 + gall v.1]
1. trans. To gall (a horse, etc.) with the spur in riding; to injure or disable in this way.
Common from c 1590 to c 1690, freq. in fig. context.
| 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Calx, Cruentare equum ferrata calce, to spurgall. 1580 Blundevil Horsemanship T iiij b, When a Horse is shouldered by meanes of some outward cause,..or his sides spurgalled. 1603 Dekker Wonderfull Yeare Wks. (Grosart) I. 80 These are those ranck-riders of Art, that haue so spur-gald your lustie wingd Pegasus, that now he begins to be out of flesh. 1650 B. Discolliminium 17 Over-will'd Men, who, if they once Plot a Designe studiously, and conclusively, will spurgall all possibilities to the Bones. 1689 D. Granville Lett. (Surtees) 42 Our present Low Country cavaliers, who have mounted us (and shewn themselves allready soe ill riders as to have spur-galled us). 1705 Hickeringill Priest-cr. (1721) i. 55 Lest the Jade be spur-gall'd and tired, and throw us down. 1820 Scott Monast. xxiv, The lazy monks that have ridden us so long, and spur-galled us so hard. |
| absol. 1685 A. Peden in Walker Biog. Presbyt. (1827) I. 59 If I were uppermost again, I shall ride hard and Spurgaw well. |
2. fig. To gall severely, in various senses.
| a 1555 Ridley Wks. (Parker Soc.) 148 If I were as well learned as was St. Paul, I would not bestow much against them, further than to gall them, and spurgall too. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden Wks. (Grosart) III. 187 Againe with the Atheist he spurgals mee, in that I iested at heauen. 1601 Sir W. Cornwallis Ess. ii. xxviii. (1631) 22 Wee misuse all our actions, wee spur-gall and tyre them. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. iii. 16/2 Like to a Post I'le runne through thicke and thin To scourge Iniquity and spurgall sinne. 1719 E. Baynard Health (1740) 46 For one half that dies Are spur-gall'd by his flies, And flay'd out of their lives. |
Hence spur-galling vbl. n.
| 1580 Blundevil Horsemanship E e iiij, The Farcin..is..ingendred in the bodie, or else of some outward hurt, as of spurgalling. 1602 2nd Pt. Ret. fr. Parnassus ii. vi. 973 He is one..that cannot ride a horse without spur-galling. 1639 T. de la Grey Compl. Farrier 41 How commeth the farcin to the creature?..sometimes by enter-firing, and hewing, and lastly by spur-galling. 1641 Milton Animadv. Wks. 1851 III. 240 Spare your selfe, lest you bejade..your owne opiniaster wit, and make the very conceit it selfe blush with spurgalling. |