spreath

English

Etymology

Scots, from Scottish Gaelic sprédh, spré, from Middle Irish preid, preit (“booty”) (plus mobile s-), borrowed from Latin praeda (“plunder, spoils; profit; prey”), thus a doublet of prey. Per one hypothesis, also a doublet of spree.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɹiːθ/

Noun

spreath (countable and uncountable, plural spreaths)

1. (Scotland, obsolete) A raid in order to steal cattle.
   • 1836, Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 3, page 426:

     It was then as much the scene of continual spreaths, liftings, reavings, and herriments, as the Border country itself.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “spree”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Tharpes, hapters, pathers, spareth, sparthe, tephras, teraphs, threaps