/spiːn/
OriginFrom Middle English *spene, *spane, from Old English spane, spanu (“teat”), from Proto-West Germanic *spanu, *spenu, from Proto-Germanic *spenô (“nipple”), from Proto-Indo-European *pstḗn (“breast; teat”). Cognate with West Frisian spien (“nipple”), Dutch speen (“nipple”), Danish spene (“teat”), Swedish spene (“teat, nipple, dug”), Icelandic speni (“teat”).
Alternatively a borrowing from Dutch speen (“nipple, teat”), from the same Proto-Germanic origin as above.
- archaic, dialectalA teat or nipple of a cow.
“The Genital part is all nervy; the Tail ſmall; and the Hind hath Udders betwixt her Thighs, with four Speans or Tets, like a Cow.”
- A river in Highland council area, Scotland, which flows into the River Lochy.
Formsspeans(plural) · spane(alternative, Scotland) · spene(alternative, Kent) · speen(alternative, Kent) · spaine(alternative, obsolete) · speane(alternative, obsolete)