spavin
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈspævɪn/
rhymes: -ævɪn
Forms: form: spavins
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English spavein, spaveine (“swelling on horse’s leg causing lameness; disease causing lameness in horses”), from Old French espavain, a variant of esparvain, esprevain, esprevin (modern French éparvin, épervin). The further etymology is unknown; one suggestion is that it is from Frankish *sparwan (“sparrow”), though this is seen as quite tenuous.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: [H]is horſe hip'd vvith an olde mothy ſaddle, and ſtirrops of no kindred: beſides poſſeſt vvith the glanders, and like to moſe in the chine, troubled vvith the Lampaſſe, infected vvith the faſhions, full of VVindegalls, ſped vvith Spauins, raied vvith the Yellovvs, […]
ref: c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 219, column 1:
text: Of ſpauens, there be tvvo kindes, the bone Spauen and the blood: for the bone Spauen, you ſhall dreſſe it in all things like the ſplent, and it vvil heale it. For the bloud ſpauen you ſhall take vp the veane, and vvhen it hath bled vve pull out the bladder vvhich holdes the ſpauen, and ſtop the vvound vvith Sage and ſalt, and it vvill heale it.
ref: 1607, Gervase Markham, “Of Spauens”, in Cauelarice, or The English Horseman: […], London: […] [Edward Allde and W[illiam] Jaggard] for Edward White, […], →OCLC, 7th book, page 78:
text: Doubtleſſe a Spauen is an euil ſorance, and cauſeth a horſe to haule principally in the beginning of his griefe, it appeareth on the hinder Legges vvithin, and againſt the ioynt, and it vvill bee a little ſvvolne, and ſome horſes haue a thorough Spauen, vvhich appeareth both vvithin and vvithout. Of the Spauen there are tvvo kindes, the one hard the other ſoft: That is: bone-Spauen, and a blood-Spauen, […] Caſt the horſe and vvith a hot yron ſlitte the fleſh that couereth the Spauen, and then lay vpon the Spauen, Cantharides and Euforbium boyled together in oile de Bay, […]
ref: 1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of the Horsse. [Of the Spauen, both Bone and Blood.]”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 407:
text: Mr. Field had seen the same horses brought to his forge from day to day, and year to year, with large spavins, yet continuing perfectly sound.
ref: 1829 November 19, “Veterinary Medical Society, 21st Oct. 1829. Discussion on Mr. W. Percivall’s Paper on Soundness.”, in [William] Percivall, [William] Youatt, editors, The Veterinarian, volume II, number 24, London: […] Compton and Ritchie, […] [for] Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, & Green, […], published December 1829, →OCLC, page 509:
topics: biology
farriery
hobbies
horses
lifestyle
medicine
natural-sciences
pathology
pets
sciences
sports
veterinary
zoology
hypernyms: osselet
glosses: A bony swelling which develops in a horse's leg where the shank and splint bone meet, caused by inflammation of the cartilage connecting those bones; also, a similar swelling caused by inflammation of the hock bones.
examples: text: [N]ovv the Bots, the Spauin, and the Glanders, and ſome doſen diſeaſes more, light on him, & his Moyles.
ref: 1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, signature B2, verso:
topics: biology
farriery
hobbies
horses
lifestyle
medicine
natural-sciences
pathology
pets
sciences
sports
veterinary
zoology
glosses: A disease of horses caused by this bony swelling (sense 1.1).
examples: text: "As an inventor," Bob Mason suggested, "you're a howling success at shooting craps! If I were as free of spavins, ringbone, saddle-galls, and splints as you are, I'd have that nanny-goat in here, hog-tie her, flop her and let the boy help himself. Why monkey with weak imitations when you can come so close to the original."
ref: [1920], Peter B[ernhard] Kyne, chapter XII, in The Understanding Heart, Toronto, Ont.: The Copp Clark Co., →OCLC, page 202:
glosses: A similar disease causing a person's leg to be lame.
Derived terms: word: blood spavin
word: bog spavin
word: bone spavin
word: spavie
word: spavined
Related terms: word: spavindy