Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To yoke to a vehicle; make ready by yoking up: as, to inspan the oxen or the wagon. See outspan.
  • To yoke oxen to a cart, especially in preparation for a journey: as, they inspanned and started.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • verb South Africa To yoke or harness, as oxen to a vehicle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To yoke oxen.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb attach a yoke or harness to

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

in +‎ span

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word inspan.

Examples

  • Then orders were given to "inspan" all our carts and other conveyances as the commandos would all have to retire.

    My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War P. [Illustrator] Van Breda 1892

  • Once they were at close quarters, there wasn't a hope, and by the look of it, through that hell of smoke and gunfire and fleeing men, with Kaffirs rushing past, and the gunners and wagon-men frantically trying to inspan and flee, the surviving remnants of the 24th weren't going to hold that huge press of Zulus more than a matter of minutes.

    Watershed 2010

  • He would have to wait at Rustchuk to get his return cargo, and could easily inspan a fresh engineer.

    Greenmantle 2005

  • But, the idea of identifying former leaders on the continent to inspan into our programme of renewal and development, should be given support.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1999

  • But, the idea of identifying former leaders on the continent to inspan into our programme of renewal and development, should be given support.

    TRIBUTE TO FORMER PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA, JULIUS NYERERE, BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT, JACOB ZUMA 1999

  • Once they were at close quarters, there wasn't a hope, and by the look of it, through that hell of smoke and gunfire and fleeing men, with Kaffirs rushing past, and the gunners and wagon-men frantically trying to inspan and flee, the surviving remnants of the 24th weren't going to hold that huge press of Zulus more than a matter of minutes.

    Flashman And The Tiger Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1999

  • Dit is een van die sterkpunte van die AHI dat dit hierdie vaardighede en middele inspan in die opbou van 'n nuwe demokratiese Suid-Afrika.

    NOTES FOR A SPEECH BY PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA AT A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AFRIKAANSE HANDELSINSTITUUT 1997

  • Dit is een van die sterkpunte van die AHI dat dit hierdie vaardighede en middele inspan in die opbou van 'n nuwe demokratiese Suid-Afrika.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • I did not hesitate a moment, in fact no wink of sleep had I that night, but lay tossing and turning, longing for daylight to come that I might inspan and commence my long trek.

    A Rip Van Winkle Of The Kalahari Seven Tales of South-West Africa Frederick Cornell

  • With drag ropes it was moved down the hill for some distance, and then an attempt was made to inspan the oxen.

    A Yeoman's Letters Third Edition P. T. Ross

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.