| 释义 |
spraints, n. pl.|spreɪnts|
Forms: 5–6 sprayntes, 6–7 spraynts, 7 spraintes, 7– spraints.
[ad. OF. espraintes (14th cent.; mod.F. épreintes), f. espraindre to squeeze out.]
a. The excrement of the otter.
c1410Master 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. 1576Turberv. Hunting lxxiv. 201 An Otter..must come forth in the night to make his spraynts. Ibid., He may partly perceive it by y⊇ sprayntes. [1616Bullokar Eng. Expos., Spraints, dung of an Otter. 1630J. 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. 1688Holme Armoury ii. 133/2 The Ordure..of..An Otter, its called the Spraynts. 1753Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. App., Spraints, among sportsmen, a term used for the dung of the otter.] 1801W. B. Daniel Rur. Sports I. 375 His landing place, which will be found..either by his spraints, his seal, or the remains of fish. 1857Kingsley Two Y. Ago xviii, Two or three more gentlemen..are scrambling over the rocks above, in search of spraints. 1885Standard Apr. 5/2 His ‘spraints’ tell their own tale.
b. In sing. form (also used collect.).
1834Medwin Angler in Wales II. 159 R― soon descried a spraint, that appeared fresh. 1851Kingsley Yeast viii, I haven't seen the spraint of one here this two years. 1960G. Maxwell Ring of Bright Water xi. 155 There is a lavatory at every other holt, and the excrement (which is known as ‘spraint’, and has no offensive odour..) often forms a high pyramidal pile. 1979Guardian 16 Mar. 11/3 A spraint is a blackish smear of digested fishbone and otter-lunch which the animal tends to leave.
So † ˈsprainting. Obs. rare.
c1410Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxiv, Of oþer stynkynge beestes he shall clepe it dyrtte, and þat of þe otyr he shall clepe sprayntynge. |