spavin /ˈspævɪn/noun 4verb 2forms 3 noun4 •A bony swelling which develops in a horse's leg where the shank and splint bone meet, caused by inflammation of the cartilage connecting those bones; also, a similar swelling caused by inflammation of the hock bones.Mr. Field had seen the same horses brought to his forge from day to day, and year to year, with large spavins, yet continuing perfectly sound. — 1829 •A disease of horses caused by this bony swelling.[N]ovv the Bots, the Spauin, and the Glanders, and some dosen diseases more, light on him, & his Moyles. — 1601 •A similar disease causing a person's leg to be lame. •The stratum of earth underneath a coal deposit. verb2 •(rare) To cause (a horse or its leg) to have spavin.Mr. Lythe had seen many horses which Mr. Field had passed as sound although they were spavined; and he does not recollect a single instance of lameness among them. — 1829 •(figurative, rare) To impair or injure (someone or something).But Ahab; oh he’s a hard driver. Look, driven one leg to death, and spavined the other for life, and now wears out bone legs by the cord. — 1851 formsspavined · spavining · spavins
