spavin

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: spav=in

CIDE DICTIONARY

spavin, n. [OE. spaveyne, OF. esparvain, F. éparvin; akin to OF. espervier a sparrow hawk, F. épervier, fr. OHG. sparwāri (G. sperber), fr. OHG. sparo sparrow, because this disease makes the horse raise the infirm leg in the manner of a sparrow hawk or sparrow. See Sparrow.].

 A disease of horses characterized by a bony swelling developed on the hock as the result of inflammation of the bones; also, the swelling itself. The resulting lameness is due to the inflammation, and not the bony tumor as popularly supposed.  Harbaugh.  [1913 Webster]

Bog spavin, a soft swelling produced by distention of the capsular ligament of the hock; -- called also blood spavin. -- Bone spavin, spavin attended with exostosis; ordinary spavin.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spavin, n. Vet. a disease of a horse's hock with a hard bony tumour or excrescence.

Idiom

blood (or bog) spavin a distension of the joint by effusion of lymph or fluid. bone spavin a deposit of bony substance uniting the bones.

Derivative

spavined adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF espavin, var. of esparvain f. Gmc