Spangle

//ˈspæŋɡ(ə)l// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A small, flat piece of sparkling metallic or metal-like material with a hole which is sewn on to a garment, etc., for decoration; a sequin.

    "The other Knight was all in milke white, his attiring els, all cutte in starres, which made of cloath of silver, and silver spangles, each way seemed to cast many aspects."

  2. 2
    adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material used to decorate clothing wordnet
  3. 3
    Any small sparkling object.

    "There they doe finde that godly aged Sire, / VVith ſnowy lockes adowne his ſhoulders ſhed, / As hoary froſt with ſpangles doth attire / The moſſy braunches of an Oke halfe ded."

  4. 4
    Any small sparkling object.; A shiny particle of a mineral.

    "There wanted good Refiners; for thoſe that tooke vpon them to haue skill this way, tooke vp the waſhings from the mountaines, and ſome moskered ſhining ſtones and ſpangles which the waters brought downe, flattering themſelues in their owne vaine conceits to haue been ſuppoſed what they were not, by the meanes of that ore, if it proued as their arts and iudgements expected."

  5. 5
    Any small sparkling object.; A star. figuratively

    "Thus in a Starry night fond children cry / For the rich ſpangles that adorn the Sky; / Which though they ſhine for ever fixed there, / With light and influence relieve us here."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    A point of light; also (rare), a glitter, a sparkle. broadly

    "Mariner, mariner, furl your sails, / For here are the blissful downs and dales, / And merrily, merrily carol the gales, / And the spangle dances in bight and bay, / And the rainbow forms and flies on the land / Over the islands free; […]"

  2. 7
    A speckle or spot, especially on the body of an animal. broadly

    "In the male [mille fleur booted bantam] the general plumage color is red with the tip of each feather ending in a V-shaped, white spangle which is separated from the red portion of the feather by a black bar. […] The wing bows are also red, tipped with white spangles."

  3. 8
    Any of a number of swallowtail butterflies (genus Papilio); specifically Papilio protenor.

    "The female is unusually beautiful with grayish-brown wings hemmed by velvet black, while the male, resembling the black-winged Long-tail Spangle (Onaga-ageha) [Papilio macilentus], has unique vermillion marks on the body, and gives out a unique fragrance from which comes its Japanese name."

Verb
  1. 1
    To fix spangles or sparkling objects to (something); to bespangle. also, figuratively, transitive

    "What ſtars do ſpangle heauen with ſuch beautie, / As thoſe two eyes become that heauenly face?"

  2. 2
    decorate with spangles wordnet
  3. 3
    To adorn or decorate (something). figuratively, transitive

    "It seems it is in fashion with you to sugar your papers with Carnation phrases, and spangle your speeches with new quodled words."

  4. 4
    glitter as if covered with spangles wordnet
  5. 5
    To flash, glitter, or sparkle. intransitive

    "The gifts are differing, being diverse; their administrations are differing, and the operations of them also are differing, though all those things are from that one and the self-same Spirit, working in every one severally as he pleases. All these things will spangle in the New Jerusalem, and carry their full breadth and sway as in the days of old."

Etymology

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English spangel (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament”) [and other forms], from spang (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament; type of bowl or cup”) + -el (diminutive suffix). Spang is derived from Middle Dutch spange, spaenge (“buckle, clasp; brooch; spangle”) (modern Dutch spang (“clasp; hook; metal hairband; metal pin”)), from Middle Low German spangel (“small chain or clasp”), from Proto-Germanic *spangō (“brooch; clasp”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁- (“to twist; to weave”). The English word is analysable as spang + -le (diminutive suffix). The verb is derived from the noun.

Etymology 2

The noun is derived from Middle English spangel (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament”) [and other forms], from spang (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament; type of bowl or cup”) + -el (diminutive suffix). Spang is derived from Middle Dutch spange, spaenge (“buckle, clasp; brooch; spangle”) (modern Dutch spang (“clasp; hook; metal hairband; metal pin”)), from Middle Low German spangel (“small chain or clasp”), from Proto-Germanic *spangō (“brooch; clasp”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁- (“to twist; to weave”). The English word is analysable as spang + -le (diminutive suffix). The verb is derived from the noun.

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