spanner

[Eng.span; -er.] I. Ordinary Language : 1. One who or that which spans. *2. The lock of a fusee or carbine. "My prince's court is now full of nothing but buff coats, spanners, and musket-rests."-Howell: Letters. *3. A fusce or carbine. "This day, as his majesty sat at dinner, there came a tall man with his spanner and scarf; whereby every man in the presence supposed him some officer in the army." -Bowring : Trial of King Charles 1., p. 156. 4. A screw-key; an iron instrument for tightening up or loosening the nuts upon screws. "A large iron wrench or spanner was afterward found on the spot."-London Daily Telegraph . 5. A fireman's wrench by which he fastens or unfastens the couplings of the hose. II. Marine Steam Eng .: A bar used in the parallel motion of the side-lever marine engine, also in some of the earlier engines, the hand-bar or lever by which the valves were moved to admit or shut off the steam. spăn'-new (ew as ū), *span-newe, *sponneowe, a . [Icel. spánnýr , spanýr , from spánn = a chip, a shaving, and nyr =new; M. H. Ger spánniuwe; Ger. spanneu , from M. H. Ger. spán , Ger. span =a chip, a splinter, and niuwe , neu =new; cf. Sw.spillerny spill-new; Dan. splinterny splinter All these terms thus mean originally fresh from the hands of the workmen; fresh-cut.] Quite new, brand-new. new. "Am I not totally a span new gallant?” Beaum. & Flet .: False One. *spăn-nish-ing, s. [Old Fr. espanoui ement ; Fr. épanoui ement ; s'épanouir to open out; from Lat. expando to spread out: ex out, and pan do =to spread.] The blow of a flower. ( Romaunt of the Rose.)