spraint

/ spreɪnt /

noun

1. often plural a piece of otter's dung

Word History and Origins

Origin of spraint¹

C15 sprayntes (pl), from Medieval French espraintes otter's dung, from espreindre to press out: compare express

Example Sentences

Spraint is one of the things scientists look for to track the presence of otters.

From Washington Post

Steven Pinker, in The Stuff of Thought, rattled off at least 40, but Waltner-Toews adds a few more obscure entries, like exuviae, to go along with ordure, spraint, doo-doo, biosolids, night soil, roadapples, and of course humanure.

From Slate

Spraint, sprānt, n. the dung of an otter.

From Project Gutenberg

Bones.—If a hen is wounded in her hips, or any of her bones, bathe freely with McQuesten's Extractor a number of times every day, put on a good deal, till she gets well; I have cured a number of hens with this Extractor, they could not stand nor walk, their bones was so spraint, and so wrenched, &c.

From Project Gutenberg

If hen's bones spraint or bruised, bathe freely with Mequesten's Extracter, take good care of her, she get well in time, must have little time for it.

From Project Gutenberg