Crossword clues for sporran
sporran
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sporran \Spor"ran\ (sp[o^]r"ran), n. [Gael. sporan.] A large purse or pouch made of skin with the hair or fur on, worn in front of the kilt by Highlanders when in full dress.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
furred leather pouch, 1818, from Gaelic sporan, Irish sparan "purse," of uncertain origin. Familiarized by Walter Scott (first attested English use is in "Rob Roy").
Wiktionary
n. A small pouch, usually made of either fur or plain or fur-trimmed leather, which is worn, suspended from a belt or chain, on the front of a kilt and used to hold various items normally carried in pants pockets.
WordNet
n. a fur or leather pouch worn at the front of the kilt by Scottish Highlanders
Wikipedia
The sporran (; Scottish Gaelic for " purse"), a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress, is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is chosen to complement the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer.
Since the traditional kilt does not have pockets, the sporran serves as a wallet and container for any other necessary personal items. It is essentially a survival of the common European medieval belt-pouch, superseded elsewhere as clothing came to have pockets, but continuing in the Scottish Highlands because of the lack of these accessories in traditional dress. The sporran hangs below the belt buckle; and much effort is made to match their style and design. The kilt belt buckle can be very ornate, and contain similar motifs to the sporran cantle and the Sgian Dubh. Early sporrans would have been worn suspended from the belt on one or other of the hips, rather than hung from a separate strap in front of the wearer.
When driving a car, dancing, playing drums, or engaging in any activity where a heavy pouch might encumber the wearer, the sporran can be turned around the waist to let it hang on the hip in a more casual position.
Usage examples of "sporran".
He came from the far north and at the Highland games he used to array himself in kilt and sporran and throw cabers around like matchsticks.
Upstanding young cockerel, swinging his sporran and marching to pipes--a fine spurn about him!
A gaelic-speaking Calvinist with three thousand million bawbees in my sporran and a brace of bed-ridden cattle-thieves in my kirk.
Bruce Scott, owner of the men's store, had told him the evening would be informal: no Prince Charlie coatees, no fur sporrans, and no fringed plaids thrown over the shoulder and anchored with a poached egg.
After an uncertain pause, one or two bold souls followed suit, and then a few more, digging copper doits and pence out of purse and sporran.
And the sporran, as well as the superficial skin under it, were gone, exposing the fascia and some of the muscle fibres of the abdominal wall.
He patted Rabbie Campbell on the head, and handed him a penny from his Sporran.
Here we paused, and he made a short speech, mixed in Gaelic and English, which was received with further applause, particularly when he reached into his sporran and tossed a small wash-leather bag to the landlord, instructing that worthy to serve whisky so long as it lasted.