spritsail-yardv.
/ˈsprɪts(ə)lˌjɑːd/, /ˈsprɪtseɪlˌjɑːd/, U.S. /ˈsprɪtsəlˌjɑrd/, /ˈsprɪtˌseɪlˌjɑrd/ Nautical slang. Now rare.
transitive. To disable (a shark, dogfish, or other fish) by thrusting a spar or piece of wood through its gills or other vulnerable parts.In quot. 1949 in extended use, with reference to inhabitants of the Solomon Islands having nasal piercings considered reminiscent of the practice of ‘spritsail yarding’.
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the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > type or method of fishing > [verb (transitive)] > catch fish with spear
poach1602
dart1624
peg1735
spear1755
harpoon1774
gig1816
spritsail-yard1833
gaff1844
grain1892
spear-fish1962
1833 H. W. Bayfield Jrnl. 12 Aug. in St. Lawrence Surv. Jrnls. (1984) I. 257 Jas. Davis..amused himself in spritsail yarding Dog Fish, a cruelty which I disapproved of and ordered not to be allowed.
1877 Fishing Gaz. 24 Aug. 8/1 The fish, as hanging spritsail-yarded, with a stick thrust through his eyes, is about 18in. thick.
1949 C. Benham Diver's Luck xvi. 211 Others were spritsail-yarded with a long bone slung through the septum of the nose.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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