spraintsn.

/spreɪnts/

Forms: Middle English–1500s sprayntes, 1500s–1600s spraynts, 1600s spraintes, 1600s– spraints.

Etymology: < Old French espraintes (14th cent.; modern French épreintes), < espraindre to squeeze out.

1. With plural agreement. The excrement of the otter.

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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Mustelidae (weasel, marten, otter, or badger) > [noun] > genus Lutra (otter) > excrement of

spraintinga1425

spraintsa1425

swaging1590

swage1834

wedging1897

a1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Digby) x Men clepeth þat þe stepes or þe marches of þe Otyr... And his fumes tredeleth [read -es] oþer sprayntes.

1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie lxxiv. 201 An Otter..must come forth in the night to make his spraynts.

1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie lxxiv. 201 He may partly perceyue it by y^e sprayntes.

1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor Spraints, dung of an Otter.

1627 J. Taylor Armado sig. D2 It is cald a Deeres Fewmets,..a Foxe or a Badgers Feance, and an Otters Spraintes.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 133/2 The Ordure..of..An Otter, its called the Spraynts.

1753 Chambers's Cycl. Suppl. App. Spraints, among sportsmen, a term used for the dung of the otter.]

1801 W. B. Daniel Rural Sports I. 375 His landing place, which will be found..either by his spraints, his seal, or the remains of fish.

1857 C. Kingsley Two Years Ago II. viii. 270 Two or three more gentlemen..are scrambling over the rocks above, in search of spraints.

1885 Standard Apr. 5/2 His ‘spraints’ tell their own tale.

2. In singular form (also used collectively).

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1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales II. 159 R—— soon descried a spraint, that appeared fresh.

1851 C. Kingsley Yeast viii. 141 I haven't seen the spraint of one here this two years.

1960 G. Maxwell Ring of Bright Water xi. 155 There is a lavatory at every other holt, and the excrement (which is known as ‘spraint’, and has no offensive odour..) often forms a high pyramidal pile.

1979 Guardian 16 Mar. 11/3 A spraint is a blackish smear of digested fishbone and otter-lunch which the animal tends to leave.

Derivatives

† ˈsprainting n. Obsolete rare.

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