Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

spalpeen

/spalˈpiːn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: spalpeen
IPA: /spalˈpiːn/

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A poor migratory farm worker in Ireland, often viewed as a rascal or mischievous and cunning person.

noun

A good-for-nothing person.

Example Sentences

""And they stood you before the magistrates, like a spalpeen or a tinker." / "Sure the French wouldn't bring with them barrels of coppers for the spalpeens of Connaught. It is murder and bloodshed they would bring.""
"The men were mainly evicted farmers from Connaught and West Cork, beggared spalpeens from Carlow and Waterford; a cooper, some farriers, a horse-knacker from Kerry; a couple of Galway fishermen who had managed to sell their nets."
"[A] fortunate accident […] happened to me when I was a very little boy. A good-hearted old Irish nurse (whom I shall not forget in my will) took me up one day by the heels, when I was making more noise than was necessary, and, swinging me round two or three times, d——d my eyes for "a skreeking little spalpeen," and then knocked my head into a cocked hat against the bed-post. This, I say, decided my fate, and made my fortune."
"Tear and ages! excuse my vehaymence, But can't the spalpeens understand, That some bastes loike to take to the wather, Tho' some choose to stay upon land."

Etymology

A late 18th-century term, from Irish spailpín.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /spalˈpiːn/

Inflected Forms

spalpeens (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

culchie guttersnipe

Rhymes With

been between mean seen green clean scene machine queen screen magazine golden mean

Questions

How do you pronounce spalpeen?: The recorded pronunciation is /spalˈpiːn/.
What does spalpeen mean?: A poor migratory farm worker in Ireland, often viewed as a rascal or mischievous and cunning person.
Where does spalpeen come from?: A late 18th-century term, from Irish spailpín.

How to pronounce spalpeen

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “spalpeen”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/spalˈpiːn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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