spartle

intransitive verb

spar·​tle

ˈspärtᵊl

-ed/-ing/-s

Scottish

: to kick about : sprawl

Word History

Etymology

Dutch spartelen, from Middle Dutch spartelen, spertelen, sportelen; akin to Middle Low German spartelen, sportelen, spertelen to sprawl, thrash about, Old High German sprazzalōn, Norwegian spratla to sprawl, thrash about, Old High German sprinzan to jump up

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