spencer

¹

[ spen-ser ]

noun

1. a short, close-fitting jacket, frequently trimmed with fur, worn in the 19th century by women and children.
2. a man's close-fitting jacket, having a collar and lapels and reaching just below the waist, worn in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
3. an English wig of the 18th century.

Spencer

²

[ spen-ser ]

noun

, Military.

1. a .52 caliber, lever-action repeating rifle and carbine patented in the U.S. in 1860 and used by the Union army and navy in the Civil War.

spencer

³

[ spen-ser ]

noun

, Nautical.

1. a large gaff sail used abaft a square-rigged foremast or abaft the mainmast of a ship or bark.

Spencer

⁴

[ spen-ser ]

noun

1. Charles, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, 1674–1722, British statesman: prime minister 1718–21.
2. Herbert, 1820–1903, English philosopher.
3. Platt Rogers [plat], 1800–64, U.S. calligrapher and teacher of penmanship.
4. a town in NW Iowa.
5. a town in central Massachusetts.
6. a male given name.

Spencer

¹

/ ˈspɛnsə /

noun

1. SpencerHerbert18201903MEnglishPHILOSOPHY: philosopher Herbert. 1820–1903, English philosopher, who applied evolutionary theory to the study of society, favouring laissez-faire doctrines
2. SpencerSir Stanley18911959MEnglishARTS AND CRAFTS: painter Sir Stanley. 1891–1959, English painter, noted esp for his paintings of Christ in a contemporary English setting

spencer

²

/ ˈspɛnsə /

noun

1. a short fitted coat or jacket
2. a woman's knitted vest

spencer

³

/ ˈspɛnsə /

noun

1. nautical a large loose-footed gaffsail on a square-rigger or barque

Word History and Origins

Origin of spencer¹

1740–50; spencer ¹indefs 1, 2 named after G. J. Spencer (1758–1834), English earl; spencer ¹indef 3 named after Charles Spencer

Origin of spencer²

First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of spencer¹

C18: named after Earl Spencer (1758–1834)

Origin of spencer²

C19: perhaps after the surname Spencer

Example Sentences

When I spoke with Spencer recently, his views had only firmed.

From Salon

The Leicester pair have yet to feature in the Autumn Nations Series but come straight into the line-up in place of Ben Spencer and George Furbank.

From BBC

While on the run, he also bought clothes from Marks & Spencer and a coffee from McDonald's, and walked beside the River Thames before being caught by police three days later.

From BBC

June Spencer, who has died aged 105, was the last surviving original cast member of The Archers.

From BBC

Spencer was one of the programme's original cast members, and the show's current editor Jeremy Howe said working with her "was like working with a legend".

From BBC