spayen

See also: Spayen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• spaien, spay

Etymology

From the Anglo-Norman espeier, equivalent to the Old French espeer (“to cut with a sword”), from Old French espee (“sword”), whence the Modern French épée.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛi̯ən/

Verb

spayen (third person present spaieth, present participle spaiende, simple past spaiede, past participle spaied or yspaied)

1. (transitive) to stab or kill, especially to kill (a deer) with a sword or other such stabbing or cutting weapon
   • 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), prologue⁽¹⁾ and chapter xxxiii⁽²⁾

     ⁽¹⁾ And after whann the hert is spaied and dede he vndothe hym.

     ⁽²⁾ Þen shulde who so be moste maister þere byd somme of þe hunters go spay hym euen behynde þe shulder forwarde to þe herte.

2. to spay
   • 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), chapter xi

     And bycause þei shuld not lese her tyme, men make hem yspayed, saue þose men will kepe open to bere whelpes.

Descendants

• English: spay

References

• “spay, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]