Also 7 spanciall, 8 spancill, 9 dial. spenchil, -shel, etc. [ad. Flem., Du. or LG. spansel (in Kilian spanssel), f. spannen SPAN v.2 Cf. SPANNEL, and ON. spennsl (Norw. spensl, MSw. spenszel) clasp, tie.] A rope or fetter for hobbling cattle, horses, etc.; esp. a short, noosed rope used for fettering the hind legs of a cow during milking. Also transf.
1610. [implied in SPANCEL v.].
1674. Ray, N. Co. Words, 44. A Spancel, a Rope to tye a Cows hinder Legs. [Hence in Grose and later glossaries.]
1689. [Farewell], Irish Hudibras, 84–5.
| See’st thou that Monster with the Tail, | |
| That ugly Monaghan Spanci-all [marg. Fetterd] | |
| The worst of all the Devils? |
1784. Smyth, Tour in U.S., I. 172. The horses are turned loose in the woods, only with leather spancills or fetters on two of their legs.
1841. Mrs. S. C. Hall, Ireland, I. 114. Upon the neighbouring bushes and wooden crosses hang fragments of clothes, or halters and spancels.
1842. Blackw. Mag., LI. 253/2. He snatched up a spancel that hung at the dairy window.
