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prettygoodword ([personal profile] prettygoodword) wrote2025-01-22 07:27 am

spancel

spancel (SPAN-suhl) - n., a rope hobble for a horse, cow, sheep, etc.; v., to hobble with a spancel.


That is, loosely tie two legs together, so the animal can walk a little i.e. hobble but not wander off. Taken around 1600 from Dutch or Low German spansel, from spannen, to bind/harness, originally spread and a cognate of span.

---L.

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