† sprewn.1
Obsolete. rare.
Spray.
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the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of spraying > [noun] > spray
stour1513
sprew1633
spray1750
speer1825
1633 T. James Strange Voy. 117 The Cables began to freeze in the house and the Ship to be frozen over with the sprewe of the Sea.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
sprewn.2
/spruː/, U.S. /spru/, South African English /spruː/ South African.
A bird belonging to the genus Spreo (of the family Sturnidæ), esp. S. bicolor, characterized by its iridescent plumage; a glossy starling.
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the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > larger song birds > [noun] > family Sturnidae > genus Spreo
pied starling1792
sprew1795
1795 C. R. Hopson tr. C. P. Thunberg Trav. (ed. 2) II. 48 A kind of Corvus, (or crow) called Spreuw, was found..in great plenty.
1801 J. Barrow Acct. Trav. Interior S. Afr. 1797–8 I. i. 29 Turtle doves, a thrush called the Sprew, and the fiscal bird, the Lanius Collaris, frequent the gardens near the town.
1867 E. L. Layard Birds S. Afr. 173 The red-wing spreo, aided by finches,..would soon pick the crop [of grapes].
1897 A. Page Afternoon Ride 58 The golden-green gleam on the wing of a sprew.
1913 J. J. Doke Secret City (ed. 2) 229 ‘Jolly fine birds, spreeuws,’ he said.
1939 S. Cloete Watch for Dawn 106 A spreeu dug its beak into some half-dried dung for the fly-worms that were in it.
1961 B. C. Tait Durban Story 69 Blue-black sprews flash above incredibly green lawns.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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