sparling

S1P3A1R1L1I1N1G2

noun

A European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus).

Similar
sperlingEuropean smeltOsmerus eperlanus
OriginMiddle English sperlynge ← Old French esperlinge →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

sparling1

nounsparling (plural sparlings)

plural sparlings

  1. ScotlandA European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus).

    Synonyms: sperling

Sparling2

proper nounSparling (plural Sparlings)

plural Sparlings

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus).

Similar
sperling

More synonyms by meaning

nouncommon smelt of Europe

Similar
European smelt
Broader
smelt

nounthe common smelt of Europe

Similar
European smeltOsmerus eperlanus
Broader
smelt
Also see
european smeltsperling

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchesperlinge
  2. Middle Englishsperlynge
  3. Englishsparling

From Middle English sperlynge, shortened from Old French esperlinge, a Germanic borrowing, found in German Spiering, Spierling, Middle Low German spirling, Middle Dutch spierling, suffixed from the word now Dutch spier (“spar, pole; muscle”). See also sparrow for a homonymic bird-name.

More words from Middle English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

laspring
Cite this entry
APA

sparling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sparling

MLA

“sparling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sparling. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sparling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sparling.

Source: sparling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.