Also 5 spangele, -yll, 5–6 spangell(e, 6 spangel, spangill(e. [f. SPANG sb.1 + -LE. Cf. G. spängel.]
1. A small round thin piece of glittering metal (usually brass) with a hole in the center to pass a thread through, used for the decoration of textile fabrics and other materials of various sorts.
c. 1420. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 277. Of goldsmythes werke with spanglys wrought be-dene.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 467/1. Spangele, or losange…, lorale.
1485. Mat. ill. Reign Hen. VII. (Rolls), II. 17. Item, xixx vnces in spangell for vii. gownes and plackardes for the henxmen.
1535. Wardr. Kath. Arragon, 35, in Camden Misc., III. Garnysshid … withe spangilles of silver and gilte.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. xviii. (1912), 462. His attiring … all cutte in starres, which made of cloath of silver, and silver spangles, each way seemed to cast many aspects.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 168. Many of the said Virgines haue their neckbands set with spangles, such as some children with vs weare.
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 862–3. As thin, as the thinnest Spangle you ever saw.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. vi. Their greatest gold coin, about the bigness of a spangle.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxi. A tawdry scarf of yellow silk, trimmed with tinsel and spangles.
1870. Rock, Text. Fab., Introd. p. civ. Silver-gilt spangles wrought to figure six-petalled flowers.
fig. 1647. Trapp, Comm., Rom. viii. 28. 29. God changeth our grisly wounds into spangles of beauty.
1652. N. Culverwel, Lt. Nature, I. xi. (1661), 84. Are not many Souls guilty, defiled, miserable Beings? and are they all this while spangles of a Deity? Ibid., xvi. 145. The least Spangle of Happiness is better, then a Globe of Temporals.
a. 1667. Cowley, Hymn to Light, ix. Poems (1905), 445. Nor … dost thou scorn The humble Glow-worms to adorn, And with those living spangles gild … the Bushes of the Field.
b. transf. A star.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. i. 603. Those bright spangles that the heav’ns adorn. Ibid. (1614), Bethulia’s Rescue, I. 351. Twinkling Spangles nightly brightly roule On sabled Circles of the whirling Pole.
1652. Crashaw, Mary Magdalene, Wks. (1904), 259. They but seem to fall, As Heavn’s other spangles doe.
1728. Pope, Dunc., III. 61. See round the Poles where keener spangles shine.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, viii. The thousand spangles that deck the firmament.
c. A glitter as of spangles. rare.
1830. Tennyson, Sea-Fairies, 24. The spangle dances in bight and bay.
1893. Cornh. Mag., Nov., 484. Not a breath of air was stirring; everywhere overhead was the spangle of the stars.
2. A condensed particle reflecting light, as of hoar-frost, snow or dew.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 48. As hoarie frost with spangles doth attire The mossy braunches of an Oke halfe ded.
a. 1691. Boyle, Hist. Air (1692), 193. We took notice of the Icy Spangles in the Air, flying about like Atoms in the Sun’s Beams.
1776. Mickle, trans. Camoens’ Lusiad, III. 88. On the rude cliffs with frosty spangles grey, Weak as the twilight gleams the solar ray.
1862. Tyndall, Mountaineer., viii. 67. The wintry clouds, as you know, drop spangles on the mountains. Ibid. (1863), Heat, v. § 181 (1870), 146. I have also seen snow-flakes descending so softly, as not to hurt the fragile spangles of which they were composed.
b. A glittering point or speck of light.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., II. 75. The sun now sinks behind the woodland green, And twittering spangles glow the leaves between.
1841. Capt. B. Hall, Patchwork, II. viii. 146. The moon … scattering along the surface of the sea a bright … chain of spangles.
3. A small or minute glittering particle, esp. of a mineral substance.
1611. Cotgr., Pailles,… the flakes, or spangles that flie from hammered, and red-hot yron, &c.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. v. 58. We saw it was a claie sand so mingled with yeallow spangles as if [etc.].
1796. Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), II. 93. Found either in compact masses, or in spangles.
1806. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, II. xxiii. Liquid spangles of powder and pomatum.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 606. It occurs there principally in spangles among the alluvial earths.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 388. Spangles are formed which scintillate and sparkle.
4. A scale, spot, marking, etc., suggestive of a spangle.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), II. 271. No shining spangles upon them or the calyx.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), III. 441/2. A bractea, spangle, or floral leaf, differing in its appearance from the other leaves of the plant.
1854. Meall, Moubray’s Poultry, 157. These spangles,… in true-feathered birds, are formed perfectly whole and clearly defined.
1867. Dk. Argyll, Reign of Law, v. 250. A species of Lophornis with a tippet of emerald spangles.
b. An oak-spangle. (See OAK 9.)
1842. Selby, Brit. Forest-Trees, 287–8. Those beautiful little excrescences so common upon the under side of the leaves of the oak and known by the name of spangles.
1873. Tegetmeier, Pheasants, 5. Among the more singular articles of food that form part of the pheasant’s very varied dietary may be mentioned the spangles of the oak leaf.
5. Cant. A seven-shilling piece.
1811. Lexicon-Balatronicum.
1823. Egan, Grose’s Dict. Vulg. T.
6. U.S. (See quot.)
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2252/2. The clasps or spangles by which the wires and tapes of hoop-skirts are secured together.
7. attrib. and Comb., as spangle embroidery, gold, -maker, -stone, -work; † spangle-baby, a fop or dandy; spangle-gall, = sense 4 b; † spanglewort, a species of sea-weed.
1602. Dekker, Satirom., Wks. 1873, I. 212. We must haue false fiers to amaze these spangle babies, these true heires of Ma. Justice Shallow.
1611. Cotgr., Or de paillole, spangle gold; or gold thinne-beaten for spangles. Ibid., Pailleteur, a Spangle-maker.
1648. Herrick, Hesp., Temple, 65. The Fringe … Is Spangle-work of trembling dew.
1681. Grew, Musæum, II. § v. ii. 247. Flat Coralline, as it may be called, or Spangle-Wort.
1708. Motteux, Rabelais, V. (1737), 216. Trash-mongers and Spangle-makers.
1803. Sarrett, New Pict. Lond., 114. A great variety of Micæ or spangle stones.
1864–5. J. G. Wood, Homes without H., xxv. 493. The curious little galls … which are appropriately called Spangle-galls, because they are as circular, and nearly as flat, as metallic spangles.
1874. H. H. Cole, Catal. Ind. Art S. Kens. Mus., 251. The black ground is covered with gold lace and spangle embroidery.
