spangle
/ˈspæŋɡəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.72 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A small, flat piece of sparkling metallic or metal-like material with a hole which is sewn on to a garment, etc., for decoration; a sequin.
noun
A speckle or spot, especially on the body of an animal.
noun
Any of a number of swallowtail butterflies (genus Papilio); specifically Papilio protenor.
Example Sentences
- "The other Knight was all in milke white, his attiring els, all cutte in starres, which made of cloath of silver, and silver spangles, each way seemed to cast many aspects."
- "[…] I had coſt his Majeſty above a million and a half of Sprugs, (their greateſt Gold Coin, about the bigneſs of a Spangle;) and upon the whole, that it would be adviſeable in the Emperor to take the firſt fair Occaſion of diſmiſſing me."
- "A tawdry scarf of yellow silk, trimmed with tinsel and spangles, which had seen as hard service, and boasted as honourable a transmission, was next flung over one shoulder, and fell across her person in the manner of a shoulder-belt or baldrick."
- "His wardrobe was extensive—very extensive—not strictly classical perhaps, nor quite new, nor did it contain any one garment made precisely after the fashion of any age or time, but every thing was more or less spangled; and what can be prettier than spangles?"
- ""Miss Bart, if you can't sew those spangles on more regular I guess you'd better give the hat to Miss Kilroy." Lily looked down ruefully at her handiwork. The forewoman was right: the sewing on of the spangles was inexcusably bad. What made her so much more clumsy than usual?"
- "Act of 1913. Par. 333. Beads and spangles of all kinds, including imitation pearl beads, not threaded or strung, or strung loosely on thread for facility in transportation only, 35 per centum ad valorem; […] A spangle is a small plate or bar of shiny metal or other material used as an ornament or trimming on wearing apparel."
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English spangel (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament”) [and other forms], from spang (“small piece of ornamental metal, spangle; small ornament; type of bowl or cup”) + -el (diminutive suffix). Spang is derived from Middle Dutch spange, spaenge (“buckle, clasp; brooch; spangle”) (modern Dutch spang (“clasp; hook; metal hairband; metal pin”)), from Middle Low German spangel (“small chain or clasp”), from Proto-Germanic *spangō (“brooch; clasp”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁- (“to twist; to weave”). The English word is analysable as spang + -le (diminutive suffix). The verb is derived from the noun.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
spangles (plural)
spangles (present, singular)
spangling (participle, present)
spangled (participle, past)
spangled (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
spangled (first person, past)
spanglest (archaic, present)
spangled (past, second person)
spangledst (archaic, past)
spangleth (archaic, present)