spean

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word spean. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word spean, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say spean in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word spean you have here. The definition of the word spean will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofspean, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Spean

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English *spene, *spane, from Old English spane, spanu (“teat”), from Proto-West Germanic *spanu, *spenu, from Proto-Germanic *spenô (“nipple”), from Proto-Indo-European *pstḗn (“breast; teat”). Cognate with West Frisian spien (“nipple”), Dutch speen (“nipple”), Danish spene (“teat”), Swedish spene (“teat, nipple, dug”), Icelandic speni (“teat”).

Alternatively a borrowing from Dutch speen (“nipple, teat”), from the same Proto-Germanic origin as above.

Noun

spean (plural speans)

  1. (archaic or dialectal) A teat or nipple of a cow.
    • , Nicholas Coxe, The Huntſman. Containing the Best Methods of Sport, for Courſing with Greyhounds, and Hunting All Kinds of Chases in England, , London: J. Dixwell, page 50:
      The Genital part is all nervy; the Tail ſmall; and the Hind hath Udders betwixt her Thighs, with four Speans or Tets, like a Cow.

Etymology 2

From Middle English spanen (“to wean”); see spane.

Pronunciation

Verb

spean (third-person singular simple present speans, present participle speaning, simple past and past participle speaned)

  1. Archaic form of spane.
    • 1899, Colville, Vernacular, page 15,
      Beginning life as a grice, the pig when speaned became a shot.

Anagrams

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia