[f. SPURN v.1 Cf. OE. sporning ‘offendiculum’.] The action of the verb, in various senses.

1

1382.  Wyclif, Rom. ix. 33. Sothli thei offendiden in to the stoon of offencioun, or spurnynge.

2

c. 1400[?].  Lydg., Æsop’s Fab., i. 85. With scrapyng and spornyng al the long day The Cok was busy hym … to feede.

3

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 470/1. Spornynge, or spurnynge, calcitracio.

4

1591.  Percivall, Sp. Dict., Puntillazo, spurning with the feete.

5

1611.  Cotgr., Regimbement, a kicking, winsing, spurning.

6

1648.  Gage, West Ind., 15. All our ships galleries would have been torn from us with the spurnings and blowes of that outragious Golfe. Ibid., 140. Some with blowes, some with spurnings, some with boxes on the ear.

7

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. III. v. Accelerated by ignominious shovings,… by smitings, twitchings,—spurnings à posteriori.

8

1853.  Robertson, Serm., Ser. IV. xviii. (1876), 204. There is love instead of spurning for him.

9