span-new

English

Alternative forms

• spang-new

Etymology

From Middle English span-neue, from Old Norse spān-nȳr. Compare spick-and-span, spandy.

Adjective

span-new (comparative more span-new, superlative most span-new)

1. (archaic) brand new

   Synonym: (archaic) fire-new

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section II. The Seventh Century.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC:

     Had Augustine been archbishop of London, he might have seemed to succeed the British archbishops, and to have derived some right from them, contrary to his humour, who would lead all, but follow none; and therefore would not wear an old title, but have a span-new archbishop's chair carved out for himself.

   • 1845, [William Gilmore Simms], “The Last Wager, or The Gamester of the Mississippi”, in The Wigwam and the Cabin (Wiley and Putnam’s Library of American Books), first series, New York, N.Y.: Wiley and Putnam, […], chapter III, page 84:

     [H]e was very nicely dressed, and wore a span-new velvet vest, a real English broadcloth coat, gold watch with gold seals; […]

   • 1925 [1598], John Marston, The Scourge of Villanie, page 113:

     The newes he tels you, is of some new flesh,
     Lately broke vp, span new, hote piping fresh

Descendants

• → Welsh: newydd sbon (partial calque)

References

• “span-new”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.