Obs. exc. arch. Also 6–7 spurgal, 7 spurrgal, Sc. spurgaw. [f. SPUR sb.1 + GALL v.1]
1. trans. To gall (a horse, etc.) with the spur in riding; to injure or disable in this way.
Common from c. 1590 to c. 1690, freq. in fig. context.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Calx, Cruentare equum ferrata calce, to spurgall.
1580. Blundevil, Horsemanship, T iiij b. When a Horse is shouldered by meanes of some outward cause,… or his sides spurgalled.
1603. Dekker, Wonderfull Yeare, Wks. (Grosart), I. 80. These are those ranck-riders of Art, that haue so spur-gald your lustie wingd Pegasus, that now he begins to be out of flesh.
1650. B., Discolliminium, 17. Over-will’d Men, who, if they once Plot a Designe studiously, and conclusively, will spurgall all possibilities to the Bones.
1689. D. Granville, Lett. (Surtees), 42. Our present Low Country cavaliers, who have mounted us (and shewn themselves allready soe ill riders as to have spur-galled us).
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr. (1721), I. 55. Lest the Jade be spur-gall’d and tired, and throw us down.
1820. Scott, Monast., xxiv. The lazy monks that have ridden us so long, and spur-galled us so hard.
absol. 1685. A. Peden, in Walker, Biog. Presbyt. (1827), I. 59. If I were uppermost again, I shall ride hard and Spurgaw well.
2. fig. To gall severely, in various senses.
a. 1555. Ridley, Wks. (Parker Soc.), 148. If I were as well learned as was St. Paul, I would not bestow much against them, further than to gall them, and spurgall too.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 187. Againe with the Atheist he spurgals mee, in that I iested at heauen.
1601. Sir W. Cornwallis, Ess., II. xxviii. (1631), 22. Wee misuse all our actions, wee spur-gall and tyre them.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wks., III. 16/2. Like to a Post I’le runne through thicke and thin To scourge Iniquity and spurgall sinne.
1719. Baynard, Health (1740), 46. For one half that dies Are spur-gall’d by his flies, And flay’d out of their lives.
Hence Spur-galling vbl. sb.
1580. Blundevil, Horsemanship, E e iiij. The Farcin … is … ingendred in the bodie, or else of some outward hurt, as of spurgalling.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., II. vi. 973. He is one … that cannot ride a horse without spur-galling.
1639. T. de Gray, Compl. Farrier, 41. How commeth the farcin to the creature?… sometimes by enter-firing, and hewing, and lastly by spur-galling.
1641. Milton, Animadv., Wks. 1851, III. 240. Spare your selfe, lest you bejade … your owne opiniaster wit, and make the very conceit it selfe blush with spurgalling.
