Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A small, often circular piece of sparkling metal or plastic sewn especially on garments for decoration.
- noun A small sparkling object, drop, or spot.
- intransitive verb To adorn or cause to sparkle by covering with or as if with spangles.
- intransitive verb To sparkle in the manner of spangles.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A small piece of glittering material, such as metal foil; hence, any small sparkling object.
- noun One of the small metal clasps used in fastening the tapes and wires of a hoop-skirt.
- noun A spongy excrescence on the oak. See
oakspangle . - noun One of many small, somewhat triangular spots on the wing of a pigeon or fowl.
- To set or cover with many small bright objects or points; especially, to decorate with spangles. as a garment.
- To glitter; glisten, like anything set with spangles.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To show brilliant spots or points; to glisten; to glitter.
- noun A small plate or boss of shining metal; something brilliant used as an ornament, especially when stitched on the dress.
- noun Figuratively, any little thing that sparkless.
- noun See under
Oak . - transitive verb To set or sprinkle with, or as with, spangles; to adorn with small, distinct, brilliant bodies.
- transitive verb (Zoöl.) a tropical humming bird (
Lophornis reginæ ). SeeCoquette , 2.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A small piece of
sparkling metallic material sewn on to agarment asdecoration ; asequin . - noun Any small sparkling object.
- verb intransitive To
sparkle ,flash orcoruscate . - verb transitive To
fix spangles to a garment.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb glitter as if covered with spangles
- verb decorate with spangles
- noun adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material used to decorate clothing
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The beautifully-lit Beliebers were the real stars of Bieber's show, but Katy Perry makes you actually believe in the ridiculous transformative spangle of pop music all over again.
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The Copper Beeches and Aspens spangle goldenly against the steel-blue sky.
Rodeo Days James Robison 2011
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The Copper Beeches and Aspens spangle goldenly against the steel-blue sky.
Rodeo Days James Robison 2011
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On a dark night, you can usually spot AE hanging out on the northwestern perimeter of a spangle of stars about two finger-widths east of Iota Aurigae.
Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast: February 5-7, 2010 | Universe Today 2010
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The silvery leaves of the eucalyptus trees spangle like tinsel.
The Lady Matador’s Hotel Cristina García 2010
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Readers have taken me to task since my last Country Diary on the pools that spangle the high ridges like glittering sequins.
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Remember when I was a disco dangle with a spangle sweating in my sticky pocket caning pop and disco dangle darling watching you?
Bone Dust Disco Penny Goring 2010
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Every person on the bus stared downward now into the mirror of the lake, as they crossed above it, and saw the spangle of their own lighted passing.
Songs of Love & Death George R. R. Martin 2010
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Every person on the bus stared downward now into the mirror of the lake, as they crossed above it, and saw the spangle of their own lighted passing.
Songs of Love & Death George R. R. Martin 2010
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Every person on the bus stared downward now into the mirror of the lake, as they crossed above it, and saw the spangle of their own lighted passing.
Songs of Love & Death George R. R. Martin 2010
yarb commented on the word spangle
And at any moment, of course, a turn of the kaleidoscope might suddenly toss a bright spangle into the grey pattern of one's days.
- Edith Wharton, The Reef
June 18, 2008
yarb commented on the word spangle
...his vivid aspect, when seen gliding at high noon through a dark blue sea, leaving a milky-way wake of creamy foam, all spangled with golden gleamings.
- Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 41
July 25, 2008
whichbe commented on the word spangle
This word strikes me as totally absurd.
January 13, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
Whichbe, why do you hate freedom?
January 13, 2009
plethora commented on the word spangle
It's a very... mardi gras word. Brings to mind tight-fitting costumes, drag queens, glitter and sequins.
I kind of like it.
January 13, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
My first association with this word is the National Anthem of the United States of America (I'm a Baltimore boy, after all), hence my question to Whichbe: Why do you hate freedom?
January 13, 2009
plethora commented on the word spangle
Well, stars and banners were my second thought.
Also, WeirdNet has odd priorites - has anyone here ever used the verb "to spangle"?
January 14, 2009
reesetee commented on the word spangle
Now that you mention it, I'm all for spangling it up and reviving it.
January 14, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
Pleth, in the phrase "star-spangled banner", "spangled" is a form (participle) of the verb "to spangle". But of course you know that. One could argue that this represents a use of the verb.
January 14, 2009
yarb commented on the word spangle
pleth, I've never seen it except as rolig mentions. It would be cool to describe something as e.g. "spangling in the sunlight", though.
January 15, 2009
chained_bear commented on the word spangle
I spangled some binders the other day, with a hot-glue gun, some plastic eyeballs, and pompoms. Someone used the word "bedazzle" to describe my action, but I suspect they were using the trade name (naughty...) rather than a standard, if elderly, verb.
So yes, I spangled them.
January 15, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
I always suspected you were a spangler, C-b.
January 15, 2009
whichbe commented on the word spangle
I love freedom. Freedom from spangles.
January 15, 2009
reesetee commented on the word spangle
A spangled bear! How snazzy!
P.S. C_b, I first read your comment as "I spangled some birders the other day," and I thought, "Wow. Wouldn't that scare away the birds?"
Except crows, maybe.
January 15, 2009
hernesheir commented on the word spangle
cf. water-spangles
January 15, 2009
chained_bear commented on the word spangle
Indeed, rolig, you guessed aright. These are a few of my favorite handbags. (The colors bring out the highlights in my fur.)
And then, of course, there's my dress tiara, which you may agree is mighty spangled.
(My hunting tiara is a little more sedate.)
Reesetee, didn't the "hot-glue gun" part tip you off?
January 15, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
Ms. Bear, did you intend to link a picture of your handbags to your last comment? I, for one, would love to see your spangled handbags.
January 16, 2009
chained_bear commented on the word spangle
psst... rolig, click on "These"! :)
January 16, 2009
rolig commented on the word spangle
I did, C_b, and what I get is:
ÿØÿà JFIF yy ÿá=-Exif II* þ ! 6 > ( 2 F i‡ b ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ Z ¤ &