spade-bone, blade-bone, shoulder-bone. Drayton, Pol. v. 266; Skinner (ann. 1671). In prov. use (EDD.). Spade = Norm. F. espalde, ‘épaule’ (Moisy). For the phonology cp. jade = Icel. jalda, a mare, through OF. *jaude, *jalde. See below.
spalle, a shoulder. Spenser, F. Q. ii. 6. 29. ‘Spawl’ (‘spaul’) is in prov. use in Scotland, see EDD. (s.v. Spaul). OF. espalle, espalde (F. épaule), Med. L. spatula, a shoulder-blade, L. spatula, a broad-bladed knife. See [spade-bone].
span-counter, a boys’ game. One boy throws down a counter, which another wins, if he can throw another so as to hit it or lie within a span of it. 2 Hen. VI, iv. 3; Northward Ho, i. 2 (Philip). See Nares.
spang, a spangle. Gascoigne, Steel Glas, 1162; Bacon, Essay 37. Hence spang’d, spangled, Three Lords and Three Ladies (Shealty), in Hazlitt’s Dodsley, vi. 467.
Spanish fig, a poisoned fig. Webster, White Devil (Flamineo), ed. Dyce, p. 30.
Spanish needle, a needle of the best quality. Middleton, Blurt, Mr. Constable, ii. 1. 6.
Spanish pike, a needle; jocosely. Ford, Sun’s Darling, ii. 1 (Folly).
spare, spaire, spayre, an opening or slit in a gown or petticoat. Spayre, Skelton, Phyllyp Sparowe, 345; ‘Sparre of a gowne, fente de la robe’, Palsgrave; Skene, Difficill Scottish Words (ann. 1681). ME. speyre of garment, ‘cluniculum’ (Prompt. EETS. 427, see note, no. 2083); spayre, ‘manubium, cluniculum’ (Cath. Angl.).
Spargirica, a name for Alchemy; ‘Ars Spagyrica’ (misspelt), B. Jonson, Alchemist, ii. 5 (ed. 1616). Ital. Spargirica, a name given to Alchemy from its separating and analysing chemical substances (Fanfani). Cotgrave has ‘Spargirie, Alchymie’, and ‘Spargirique, an Alchemist’. Florio has ‘Spargirio, Alchymy or the Extraction of Quintessences’.
spark, a diamond. Shirley, Bird in a Cage, ii. 1 (Rolliardo).