Now dial. Forms: 5 lengell, (lynnell), 5–7 lingell, 6 lyngell, 7 lingal, 7– lingel, 8– lingle. [app. repr. an AF. *lengle:—L. lingula strap, thong, also spoon; dim. of lingua tongue. Cf. LANGLE.]
† 1. collect. sing. The leather straps, etc., of a horse’s harness. Obs.
1460. Lybeaus Disc., 1364 (Kaluza). His scheld was blak as pich, Lingell, armes, trappure swich. Ibid., 1664. And of þe same painture Was lingell and trappure.
2. A thong or latchet.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Cohum, a thonge or lyngell wherwith the oxe bowe & the yoke are bounden togider.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting w. Polwart, 342. Shame and sorrow on her snout that … louses off thy lingals sa lang as they may last.
1658. Phillips, Lingel, a little tongue or thong.
1790. A. Wilson, To E. Picken, Poet. Wks. (1846), 107. This half a year yer funny tales, Ower mosses, mountains, seas and dales, I’ve carried i’ my lingle.
1801. Beattie, Parings (1873), 4 (E. D. D.). Afore the ingle she knit a lingle to swing the roast.
1832. A. Henderson, Prov., 129. It’s short while since the sow bore the lingel.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Lingel, a small thong of leather for sewing or lacing bands. [syn.] Lingle.
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-Hags, xxv. 188. I had my sword dangling by a lingel or tag at my right wrist. Ibid. (1896), Grey Man, xxix. 200. I … saw nothing but some discharged pistols lying with broken lingels abroad on the sand.
† 3. A flat blade or spoon, a spatula.
1598. Florio, Paletta di spetiale, a lingell, a spoone, a tenon, a spattle or slice as Apothecaries vse.
1611. Cotgr., Friquette, a lingell, smalle sklice, little scummer. Ibid., Palette, a Lingell, Tenon, Slice, or flat toole wherwith Chirurgians lay salue on plaisters.
Hence Lingel v. trans., to fasten with a thong. (Cf. LANGLE v.) Sc.
1879. G. Macdonald, Sir Gibbie, xlvi. (1880), 293. I never read the ballant aboot the worm lingelt roun’ the tree.
