Meaning of bespawl | Babel Free

Definitions

To daub, make foul, or soil (someone or something) with spawl or spittle.

obsolete, transitive

Examples

“[T]each thy Incubus to Poëtize, / And throvve abroad thy ſpurious Snotteries, / Vpon that puft-up Lumpe of Barmy froth, / […] / Or Clumſy Chil-blain'd Iudgement; that, vvith Oath, / Magnificates his Merit; and beſpaules / The conſcious Time, vvith humorous Fome; & bravvles, / As if his Organons of Senſe vvould crack / The ſinevves of my Patience.”

“Old Proteus hath been knovvne to leaue his finny Heard, / And in their ſight to ſpunge his foame-beſpavvled beard.”

“Well, since thou wilt bespaul, bedribble the ashes of unhappy Rochel, and scatter with thy disdainful breath the despised dust of that forlorn city: yet, withal, call to mind a little, how not many ages are past, since the time was, that this hereditary sceptre of this, thy now, Lewis broke open the gates of Rome, demolished the walls, dispersed and slew the inhabitants, and shut up thy great predecessor, laden with bitter scoffs and execrations, in his blind dungeon.”

“See hovv this Remonſtrant vvould inveſt himſelfe conditionally vvith all the rheume of the Tovvne, that hee might have ſufficient to beſpaul his Brethren.”

“Some ten or more years ago the police authorities ordered the introduction of respirators for the use of workwomen in tobacco factories. Complying with this order, they purchased one respirator for a certain number of laborers, but it was good for nothing, as workwomen could use the respirators only by turns, and besides they had an aversion to apply to their mouths an object which was bespawled by others, consequently the respirators soon disappeared from tobacco manufactories.”

“The doors are covered with the soot of the ages; the walls are bespattered with filth; the roof is closely covered with barbs; the floor is strewn with serpents and bespawled with all kinds of uncleanliness[.]”

“[W]hile he would spit beyond the table, he all-to-bespawleth him who skinketh at the feast.”

“There where the virginal daughters of our folk were fouled, / Where seven heathen flung each woman down, / And fought to pre-possess, possessed them, and bespawled: / The daughter in the presence of her mother, / The mother in the presence of her daughter, / Before slaughter, during slaughter, and after slaughter!”

“Please forgive me for being such a complete bespawling ditz.”

CEFR level