Obs. or dial. Forms: 5–6 sperkel-, -kle, 6 -cle; 5–6 sparkyl-, 6 sparkel-, -kyll, 5–6 sparcle (6 -ckle), 5– sparkle. [Alteration of SPARPLE v. Cf. DISPARKLE v.]
1. intr. Of persons: To separate, scatter or disperse. Freq. with abroad.
c. 1440. Generydes, 6049. A bak thei drewe, and sperkelyd her and þer.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 9. The other … were anon so discoraged that they sparklid abrode.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxix. 281. Than they sparcled abrode lyke men yt were discomfyted and chased.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 341. Assone as this proclamation was made, they sparkled abroade, euery man to their awne homes.
2. trans. To cause to scatter or disperse; to drive in different directions. Also sparkle away (quot. 1703).
a. 1470. Harding, Chron., CLXXIV. iii. Then went the kyng … and sparcled them then so That North they went.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xiv. 352. To thende ye maye gader agen togyder your folke that be soo sperkled abrode.
1506. in Mem. Hen. VII. (Rolls), 282. All his other ships were sparkled, some to Rye…; some were drowned.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. ii. 31. They ware diuersely sparckled in diuers partes of the world.
1618. Fletcher, Loyal Subj., I. v. Beaten, and’t please your Grace, And all his Forces sparkled.
1703. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray, Sparkle away, to disperse, spend, waste.
1836. Wilbraham, Cheshire Gloss. (ed. 2), 111. Sparkle,… to disperse.
3. To cast abroad; to scatter, sprinkle or strew.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxvi. 100. And so is þe blode sperkelid aboute the cradil.
1548. Elyot, Conspergo, to scatter or sparcle about abundantly, to strawe.
1555. Eden, Decades, I. III. (Arb.), 77. As thowgh mele had byn sparkeled throwgh owte al that sea.
transf. 1538. Starkey, England, II. i. 157. The cure therof ys sparkylyd in the cure of al other.
b. dial. To spatter (liquid, etc.) over one.
1787. Grose, Prov. Gloss., s.v., He sparkled the water all over me.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., II. 270. He rode so fast he sparkled the mud all over me.
4. To sprinkle, bestrew or bespatter with (also in) something; to dot thickly.
14[?]. Sir Beues, 350 (Camb. MS. Ff. ii. 38). The chyldys clothys, ryche and gode, He had sparkylde with that blode.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 196. The pauement of the temple is all sparcled with bludde.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 586. The fruite foloweth after, which is long, the outside thereof sparckled, and set full of little bowles or bosses.
1625. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. IX. 1495. Who being sparkled therewith, dieth by force of the poyson.
1629. in Capt. Smith’s Wks. (Arb.), II. 819. To see bright honour sparkled all in gore, Would steele a spirit that ne’re fought before.
fig. 1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 1152/2. Such as had fresh wyttes sparcled with Gods grace.
b. techn. To overlay or daub with cement or the like. (Cf. SPARKLING vbl. sb.2 2.)
1805. R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric., I. 89. Pan-tiling, with small-sized deal lath, and sparkled within side.
5. To disseminate or diffuse; to spread or circulate.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 922. Of it to sparcle the beames through all the worlde.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. 199. Lefull be it to sparcle in the ayre Their secretes all.
1577–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 206. Ill seed of sedition, sparkled and scattered in the cruel civil wares before.
