Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPAV'IN-ED, a.

Affected with spavin. – Goldsmith.

SPAW, or SPA, n.

1. A mineral water from a place of this name in Germany. The name may, perhaps, be applied to other similar waters.
2. A spring of mineral water.

SPAWL, n.

Saliva or spittle thrown out carelessly. – Dryden.

SPAWL, v.i. [G. speichel, spawl; speien, to spawl, to spew. Spew is a contracted word.]

1. To throw saliva from the mouth in a scattering form; to disperse spittle in a careless, dirty manner. Why must he sputter, spawl, and slaver it? – Swift.
2. A fragment of stone.

SPAWL'ING, n.

Saliva thrown out carelessly.

SPAWL'ING, ppr.

Throwing spittle carelessly from the mouth.

SPAWN, n. [It has no plural. If this word is not contracted, it belongs to the root of L. pono, Sp. poner, Fr. pondre, to lay eggs. If contracted, it probably belongs to the root of spew or spawl. The radical sense is that which is ejected or thrown out.]

1. The eggs of fish or frogs, when ejected. – Ray.
2. Any product or offspring; an expression of contempt. – Roscommon.
3. Offsets; shoots; suckers of plants. [Not used in America.]

SPAWN, v.i.

1. To deposit eggs, as fish or frogs.
2. To issue, as offspring; in contempt. – Locke.

SPAWN, v.t.

1. To produce or deposit, as fishes do their eggs.
2. To bring forth; to generate; in contempt. – Swift.

SPAWN'ED, pp.

Produced or deposited, as the eggs of fish or frogs.

SPAWN'ER, n.

The female fish. The spawner and the melter of the barbel cover their spawn with sand. – Walton.

SPAY, v.t. [W. yspazu, to exhaust; dyspazu, to geld; Arm. spaza or spahein, to geld; L. spado, a gelding; Gr. σπαω, to draw out.]

To extirpate the ovaries of a female.

SPAY'ED, pp.

Having the ovaries extirpated.

SPAY'ING, ppr.

Extirpating the ovaries.

SPEAK, v.i. [pret. spoke, (spake, nearly obs.;) pp. spoke, spoken. (Sax. spæcan, specan; It. spiccar le parole, to speak distinctly; spiccare, to shine, that is, to shoot or thrust forth; Eth. ሰበከ sabak, to preach, to teach, to proclaim. The Sw. has spå; Dan. spaer, to foretell. It is easy to see that the root of this word is allied to that of beak, peak, pick.]

1. To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words. Children learn to speak at an early age. The organs may be so obstructed that a man may not be able to speak. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. – 1 Sam. iii.
2. To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to utter thoughts in a public assembly. A man may be well informed on a subject, and yet too diffident to speak in public. Many of the nobility made themselves popular by speaking in parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty. – Clarendon.
3. To talk; to express opinions; to dispute. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when the knave is not. – Shak.
4. To discourse; to make mention of. Lucan speaks of a part of Cesar's army that came to him from the Leman lake. – Addison. The Scripture speaks only of those to whom it speaks. – Hammond.
5. To give sound. Make all your trumpets speak. – Shak. To speak with, to converse with. Let me speak with my son.

SPEAK, v.t.

1. To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter articulately; as human beings. They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him. – Job ii. Speak the word, and my son shall be healed. – Matth. viii.
2. To declare; to proclaim; to celebrate. It is thy father's music / To speak your deeds. Shak.
3. To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in conversation. A man may know how to read and to understand a language which he can not speak.
4. To address; to accost. He will smile upon thee, put thee in hope, and speak thee fair. – Ecclus.
5. To exhibit; to make known. Let heaven's wide circuit speak / The Maker's high magnificence. – Milton.
6. To express silently or by signs. The lady's looks or eyes speak the meaning or wishes of her heart.
7. To communicate; as, to speak peace to the soul. To speak a ship, to hail and speak to her captain or commander. Note. We say, to speak a word or syllable, to speak a sentence, an oration, piece, composition, or a dialogue, to speak a man's praise, &c.; but we never say, to speak an argument, a sermon, or a story.

SPEAK'A-BLE, a.

1. That can be spoken.
2. Having the power of speech. – Milton.

SPEAK'ER, n.

1. One that speaks, in whatever manner.
2. One that proclaims or celebrates. No other speaker of my living actions. – Shak.
3. One that utters or pronounces a discourse; usually, one that utters a speech in public. We say, a man is a good speaker, or a bad speaker.
4. The person who presides in a deliberative assembly, preserving order, and regulating the debates; as, the speaker of the house of commons; the speaker of a house of representatives.

SPEAK'ING, n.

1. The act of uttering words; discourse.
2. In colleges, public declamation.

SPEAK'ING, ppr.

Uttering words; discoursing; talking.

SPEAK'ING-TRUM-PET, n.

A trumpet by which the sound of the human voice may be propagated to a great distance.

SPEAR, n. [Sax. speare, spere; D. and G. speer; Dan. spær; W. yspar, from pâr, a spear. So W. ber is a spear, and a spit, that which shoots to a point. Class Br.]

1. A long pointed weapon used in war and hunting, by thrusting or throwing; a lance. – Milton. Pope.
2. A sharp pointed instrument with barbs; used for stabbing fish and other animals. – Carew.
3. A shoot, as of grass; usually spire.

SPEAR, v.i.

To shoot into a long stem. [See Spire.] – Mortimer.

SPEAR, v.t.

To pierce with a spear; to kill with a spear; as, to spear a fish.

SPEAR'ED, pp.

Pierced or killed with a spear.