Now Sc. and north. Forms: α. 4, 6, 9 spald, 5 spalde, spaulde, 4– spauld. β. 4–5 spaude, 5 spawd(e, 9 spaud. γ. 5, 8–9 spaul, 9 spawl, spoale, spaw-. [a. OF. espalde, *espaulde, espaule, espalle (mod.F. épaule, = Prov. espatla, Sp., Pg. espalda, It. spalla) shoulder:—L. spatula SPATULA.]
1. The shoulder in man or animals; a shoulder of an animal used for food.
α. 1305–6. in Cal. Doc. rel. Scotl. (1888), 392. Pro cxxxvj carcosiis bovium et ij spauld et ccciij baconibus.
1338. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 35. In spald et brusket’ emp., xijd.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 796. I kepe nothynge of thi coste Ne noghte of thi spalde.
c. 1430. Two Cookery-bks., 59. Spaulde de Motoun.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, X. xii. 60. The bustuus swyne … With spaldis hard and harsk. Ibid., xiv. 157. The knycht … Foundris fordwart flatlingis on hys spald.
c. 1570. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Cl.), 269/37. For sen thay red amang our durris, With splent on spald and rousty spurris.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 304 (1621), B ij. With bockblood and beanshaw, speven sprung in the spald.
a. 1802. Kinmont Willie, xvii. in Scott, Minstr. Sc. Border. With spur on heel and splent on spauld.
1820. Hogg, Sheph. Cal., i. (1829), I. 32. Some entire carcasses hung by the neck, some by a spauld.
1873. D. Maclagan, in Edwards, Mod. Sc. Poets (1881), III. 180. Baith strang o’ limb an’ braid o’ spauld.
β. c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 485. Þe spaude [printed spande] was þe first brede.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 155. Of woundis of þe spaude…. Þe spawde is oon of þe iiij. boonys, þe which þat makþ þe foorme of þe schuldre.
a. 1430. Two Cookery-bks., 63. Spawdys de Motoun.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 467/2. Spawde, spatula.
1483. Cath. Angl., 352. A Spawde, armus.
γ. c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 165. If þer go ony breeþ þere, it wole do harme to þe spaulis.
1718. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., III. xvi. ‘Wae worth ye’r drunken saul,’ Quoth she, and lap out o’er a stool, And claught him be the spaul. Ibid. (1724), Vision, v. A various rainbow-colourt plaid Owre his left spaul he threw.
1788. Picken, Poems, 59. For they, some night,… Might lug us by the spaul to Satan.
1899. Cumbld. Gloss., 309/2. Spoale, a butcher’s term for the cut between the neck and the forecrop; the thin or flat portion of the shoulder blade.
2. transf. A limb, leg, etc.; any joint of the carcass of a beast or bird.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxi. 64. I wald be spurrit at everie spald.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 87. The theif takar suld haif the forder spald.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xxiv. 47. At euerie port a spald of the to hing, As tratouris sould, for schuitting vnder trest.
1715. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., II. xx. Wi’ hind and fore spaul of a sheep.
1746. Graham, Hist. Rebellion (1774), 92. Their Brigadier In every spaul did quake for fear.
1807–10. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 32. She tore poor chucky spawl frae spawl.
1831. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr. (1856), III. 214. For half a mile, the bubbly, being longer in the spald, would outstep the gander.
3. Black spauld, a disease of cattle; black quarter, quarter-evil, or quarter-ill. Sc.
1807. Prize Ess. & Trans. Highland Soc., III. 368. Mr. J. Hog says … that it is the same disease with the black spauld, which prevails among the young cattle in the west of Scotland, when the grasses fail.
4. attrib., as spauld-bone, the shoulder-bone (cf. SPADE-BONE); spauld-ill, quarter-ill (cf. sense 3); spauld-piece (see quot. 1828).
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 155. Þe spawde-boon is þinne & brood twoward þe schuldris & in hise endis gristly.
1793. D. Ure, Hist. Rutherglen, 191. The Spalliel [sic], in young cattle, is sometimes cured by [etc.].
1828. Carr, Craven Gloss., Spaw-bone, the blade bone or shoulder bone. Hence, a piece of beef cut from the shoulder with a part of this bone, is called the spaw-piece.
