spavin

Via Middle English, shortening of Old French espavin, variant of esparvain, speculated to be from Frankish *sparwan (“sparrow”), though this is seen as quite tenuous; see sparrow.

• IPA^(key): /ˈspævɪn/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ævɪn

spavin (countable and uncountable, plural spavins)

1. A disease of horses characterized by a bony swelling developed on the hock as the result of inflammation of the bones.
   • 1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter XII, in The Understanding Heart:

     “As an inventor,” Bob Mason suggested, “you're a howling success at shooting craps ! If I were as free of spavins, ringbone, saddle-galls, and splints as you are, I'd have that nanny-goat in here, hog-tie her, flop her and let the boy help himself. […] ”

• blood spavin
• bog spavin
• bone spavin
• spavined

• pavins