spavin
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Via Middle English, shortening of Old French espavin, variant of esparvain, speculated to be from Frankish *sparwan (“sparrow”), though this is seen as quite tenuous; see sparrow.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈspævɪn/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -ævɪn
Noun
[edit]spavin (countable and uncountable, plural spavins)
- A disease of horses characterized by a bony swelling developed on the hock as the result of inflammation of the bones.
- 1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter XII, in The Understanding Heart:
- “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. […] ”
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Frankish
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ævɪn
- Rhymes:English/ævɪn/2 syllables
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- en:Diseases