Spavin
Pronunciation : Spav"in
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. spaveyne, OF. esparvain, F. ?parvin; akin to OF. espervier a sparrow hawk, F. ?pervier, fr. OHG. sparwari (G. sperber), fr. OHG. sparo sparrow, because this disease makes the horse raise the infirm leg in the manner of a sparrow hawk or sparrow. See
Definition : Defn: A disease of horses characterized by a bony swelling developed on the hock as the result of inflammation of the bones; also, the swelling itself. The resulting lameness is due to the inflammation, and not the bony tumor as popularly supposed. Harbaugh. Bog spavin, a soft swelling produced by distention of the capsular ligament of the hock; -- called also blood spavin. -- Bone spavin, spavin attended with exostosis; ordinary spavin.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913