Spang
adv, name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A shiny ornament or object; a spangle obsolete
"With glittering spangs that did like starres appeare."
- 2 A bound or spring; a leap. Scotland
"Set roast-beef and pudding on the opposite side o' the pit o' Tophet, and an Englishman will mak a spang at it—[…]"
- 3 A span. Scotland
- 1 To set with bright points: star or spangle.
- 2 Of a flying object (such as a bullet), To strike or ricochet with a loud report. intransitive
"Occasional bullets buzzed in the air and spanged into tree trunks."
- 3 To leap; spring. Scotland, UK, dialectal, intransitive
"a. 1758, Allan Ramsay, epistle to Robert Yarde But when they spang o'er reason's fence, / We smart for't at our own expense."
- 4 leap, jerk, bang wordnet
- 5 To hitch; fasten.
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- 6 To cause to spring; set forcibly in motion; throw with violence. Scotland, UK, dialectal, transitive
- 1 Suddenly; slap, smack. dated, not-comparable
"And I didn't stop until I found myself spang in the middle of the Musée de Cluny, clutching the rack."
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"With glittering spangs that did like starres appeare."
Etymology
From Middle English spang (“a small piece of ornamental metal; spangle; small ornament; a bowl or cup”), likely from Middle Dutch spange (“buckle, clasp”) or Old English spang (“buckle, clasp”).
Onomatopoeic.
Uncertain. Cognate with Scots spang, and possibly related to English spank.
See span