inspan
/ɪnˈspan
/verb (inspans, inspanning, inspanned) [with object] South African
1Yoke (draught animals, typically oxen) in a team to a vehicle: Duma inspanned sixteen of his best cattle...
- The waentjies had functioning disselbooms, jukke and skeie complete with carefully cut riempies spantoue for inspanning the oxen.
1.1Harness an animal or animals to (a vehicle): the farmer inspanned his wagon and returned to Maritzburg...
- The Boers charged the hill four times, and were inspanning wagons preparatory to a retreat, when our men were forced to fall back owing to their reserve.
- He ordered the wagons to be inspanned, but left where they were, and refused requests to allow them to be laagered.
Origin
Early 19th century: from Dutch inspannen 'to stretch', from in- 'in' + spannen 'to span'.