1. a rope or chain used to hobble an animal, especially a horse or cow
Usage: archaic; rural

1. to hobble or restrain an animal with a rope or chain
Usage: archaic; rural

Examples

• The farmer used a spancel to keep the horse from wandering too far.
• Old leather spancels hung in the barn from decades past.
• He spanceled the cow before milking to prevent it from kicking.
• The rancher would spancel the horses at night to keep them near camp.
• Without a proper spancel, the livestock might stray into the neighbor’s field.