Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A device for snaring small game, made by attaching a noose to a branch under tension.
- n. A trap or snare.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To sprinkle.
- n. A noose or snare for catching small game; a gin. It is usually secured to an elastic branch, or small sapling, which is bent over and secured by some sort of trigger which the movements of the animal will release, when it flics up and the noose catches the game.
- To catch in a springe.
- To set springes; catch game by means of springes.
- Active; nimble; brisk; agile.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A noose fastened to an elastic body, and drawn close with a sudden spring, whereby it catches a bird or other animal; a gin; a snare.
- v. rare To catch in a springe; to insnare.
- v. obsolete To sprinkle; to scatter.
Etymologies
- Old English sprengen. See sprinkle. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English, branch, spring; see spring. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Another mode of making a springe, which is a capital plan for catching almost any bird, whether it be a percher or a runner, is this: Procure an elastic wand (hazel or osier makes the best) of about 3 ft. 6 in. long, to the top of which tie a piece of twisted horsehair about 3 in. in length; to the free end attach a little piece of wood of 2 in. in length, by the middle, cutting one end to an obtuse point, flattened on the top and underneath.”
“Her phrasing here nicely looks back to 1. 51, where she acknowledged that her own "springe" had been "late.”
My Name Was Martha: A Renaissance Woman's Autobiographical Poem
““Never tell me of your points of honour,” said Touchwood, raising his voice altogether above the general tone of polite conversation — “all humbug, Captain MacTurk — mere hair-traps to springe woodcocks — men of sense break through them.””
“Be caught like a bird in a springe; everything intended to be hidden from me!”
“The leading goat marched gravely into the springe, which, catching him round his neck, released the bent rod, and sprang him off his legs into the air.”
“The loss of the springe was not a serious one, for three traps remained unsprung, and before sundown”
“Horatio may be taking his cue from what the dying Laertes has just said: Laertes is 'as a woodcock to mine own springe'.”
“Shall ffeele A springe, Wth budd of life, & Breath”
My Name Was Martha: A Renaissance Woman's Autobiographical Poem
“My springe was late, some thinke thatt sooner loue butt backward springs doe oft the kindest proue +”
My Name Was Martha: A Renaissance Woman's Autobiographical Poem
“Shall ffeele A springe, wth budd of life, & Breath”
My Name Was Martha: A Renaissance Woman's Autobiographical Poem
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘springe’.
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phrontistery-s
from phrontistery.info
sabaton, sabbatarian, sabbulonarium, sabelline, sabin, sable, sabliere, sabot, sabretache, sabulous, saburration, saccade and 1593 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Words I wrote down while reading this book
heptarchy, kibe, antiquary, wold, mendacious, vamp, vale, miry, calcareous, cerealia, ostleress, desultory and 105 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for springe.
yarb E.g. woodcocks. Aug 28, 2009
oroboros Noose, trap, snare for small game animals. Aug 27, 2009