sb. pl. Forms: 5–6 sprayntes, 6–7 spraynts, 7 spraintes, 7– spraints. [ad. OF. espraintes (14th cent.; mod.F. épreintes), f. espraindre to squeeze out.] The excrement of the otter.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), x. Men clepeth þat þe stepes or þe marches of þe Otyr…. And his fumes tredeleth [read -es] oþer sprayntes.
1576. Turberv., Hunting, lxxiv. 201. An Otter … must come forth in the night to make his spraynts. Ibid. He may partly perceive it by ye sprayntes.
[1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Spraints, dung of an Otter.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Navy Landsh., Huntsm., Wks. I. 93/1. It is called a Deeres Fewmets,… a Foxe or a Badgers Feance, and an Otters Spraintes.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 133/2. The Ordure … of … An Otter, its called the Spraynts.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl. App., Spraints, among sportsmen, a term used for the dung of the otter.]
1801. W. B. Daniel, Rur. Sports, I. 375. His landing place, which will be found … either by his spraints, his seal, or the remains of fish.
1857. Kingsley, Two Y. Ago, xviii. Two or three more gentlemen … are scrambling over the rocks above, in search of spraints.
1885. Standard, April, 5/2. His ‘spraints’ tell their own tale.
b. In sing. form. rare.
1834. Medwin, Angler in Wales, II. 159. R— soon descried a spraint, that appeared fresh.
1851. Kingsley, Yeast, viii. I haven’t seen the spraint of one here this two years.
So † Sprainting. Obs. rare.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xxiv. Of oþer stynkynge beestes he shall clepe it dyrtte, and þat of þe otyr he shall clepe sprayntynge.
