See spall in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
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"(ambitransitive) To break into fragments or small pieces."
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"ref": "2025 May 6, Noah Smith, “Thoughts on Sinofuturism: What does it mean for China to be \"the future\"? And what does that future look like?”, in Noahpinion:",
"text": "I know it’s fun to go to a foreign city, look around at the buildings, and make grand sweeping judgements about the relative strength of civilizations over the next thousand years. But next time you find yourself gaping at a sparkling new high-rise in Shenzhen or Chongqing or Dubai, remind yourself: “This too shall spall.”",
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"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl/1 syllable",
"Terms with Albanian translations",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Romanian translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "cross-spall"
}
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "spalle",
"4": "",
"5": "a chip"
},
"expansion": "Middle English spalle (“a chip”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gml",
"3": "spalden",
"4": "",
"5": ""
},
"expansion": "Middle Low German spalden",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "goh",
"2": "spaltan",
"3": "",
"4": "to split"
},
"expansion": "Old High German spaltan (“to split”)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English spalle (“a chip”) (first documented in 1440), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from the Middle English verb spald (“to split”) (c.1400), from Middle Low German spalden, cognate with Old High German spaltan (“to split”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "spalls",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "spawl",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "spall (plural spalls)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
94,
100
]
],
"ref": "1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 13:",
"text": "My father knew Bert Le Feuvre, the foreman of Griffith's yard, and there was a little heap of spawls waiting ready every night in summer after school for me to crack.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A splinter, fragment or chip, especially of stone."
],
"links": [
[
"splinter",
"splinter"
],
[
"fragment",
"fragment"
],
[
"chip",
"chip"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable) A splinter, fragment or chip, especially of stone."
],
"tags": [
"countable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
37,
42
]
],
"text": "The failure of this bearing involved spall under high load.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
55,
60
]
],
"text": "The inspection of this bridge abutment found extensive spall.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A process of weathering, aging, or other wear that involves the crumbling of the substrate."
],
"links": [
[
"ferroconcrete",
"ferroconcrete"
],
[
"metal",
"metal"
],
[
"weathering",
"weathering#Noun"
],
[
"aging",
"aging#Noun"
],
[
"wear",
"wear#Noun"
],
[
"crumbling",
"crumble#Verb"
],
[
"substrate",
"substrate#Noun"
]
],
"qualifier": "especially concerning ferroconcrete structures or metal objects",
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable, especially concerning ferroconcrete structures or metal objects) A process of weathering, aging, or other wear that involves the crumbling of the substrate."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "spalling#Noun"
},
{
"word": "spallation#Noun"
}
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/spɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-spall.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/spɔl/",
"note": "without the cot–caught merger",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɑl/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɒl/",
"note": "of the US",
"tags": [
"Canada",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spoːl/",
"tags": [
"General-Australian",
"New-Zealand"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɔːl"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "sq",
"lang": "Albanian",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "thepël"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "otlomǎk",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "отломък"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"word": "siru"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "odłamek"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"word": "așchie"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "oblómok",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "обло́мок"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "oskólok",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "оско́лок"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "splinter of stone",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "ulomak"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"spall"
],
"word": "spall"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Italian",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Middle Low German",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl/1 syllable",
"Terms with Albanian translations",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Romanian translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations"
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "spalle",
"4": "",
"5": "a chip"
},
"expansion": "Middle English spalle (“a chip”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gml",
"3": "spalden",
"4": "",
"5": ""
},
"expansion": "Middle Low German spalden",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "goh",
"2": "spaltan",
"3": "",
"4": "to split"
},
"expansion": "Old High German spaltan (“to split”)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English spalle (“a chip”) (first documented in 1440), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from the Middle English verb spald (“to split”) (c.1400), from Middle Low German spalden, cognate with Old High German spaltan (“to split”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "spalls",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "spalling",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "spalled",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "spalled",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "spawl",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "spall (third-person singular simple present spalls, present participle spalling, simple past and past participle spalled)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "spaller"
},
{
"word": "spalling"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"English transitive verbs",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
18,
25
]
],
"ref": "1778, William Pryce, Mineralogia Cornubiensis: A Treatise on Minerals, Mines, and Mining […] :",
"text": "Cobbed Ore is the ſpalled which is broke out of the ſolid large ſtones with ſledges",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
64,
71
]
],
"ref": "2021 May 5, Paul Stephen, “Restoring the glory of Ribblehead”, in RAIL, number 930, page 39:",
"text": "Drones will give an idea of the worst bits, but if it's lightly spalled then I don't know if they will necessarily see that.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To break into fragments or small pieces."
],
"links": [
[
"fragment",
"fragment"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(ambitransitive) To break into fragments or small pieces."
],
"tags": [
"ambitransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
22,
29
]
],
"text": "When the bearing race spalled under high load, it led to the failure of the bearing.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
22,
29
]
],
"text": "Once the concrete had spalled extensively, the bridge could no longer pass an honest inspection.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
317,
322
]
],
"ref": "2025 May 6, Noah Smith, “Thoughts on Sinofuturism: What does it mean for China to be \"the future\"? And what does that future look like?”, in Noahpinion:",
"text": "I know it’s fun to go to a foreign city, look around at the buildings, and make grand sweeping judgements about the relative strength of civilizations over the next thousand years. But next time you find yourself gaping at a sparkling new high-rise in Shenzhen or Chongqing or Dubai, remind yourself: “This too shall spall.”",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To undergo weathering, aging, or other wear that involves the crumbling of the substrate."
],
"links": [
[
"ferroconcrete",
"ferroconcrete"
],
[
"metal",
"metal"
],
[
"weathering",
"weathering#Noun"
],
[
"aging",
"aging#Noun"
],
[
"wear",
"wear#Noun"
],
[
"crumbling",
"crumble#Verb"
],
[
"substrate",
"substrate#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(especially of ferroconcrete structures or metal objects) To undergo weathering, aging, or other wear that involves the crumbling of the substrate."
],
"raw_tags": [
"of ferroconcrete structures or metal objects"
],
"tags": [
"especially"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"To reduce, as irregular blocks of stone, to an approximately level surface by hammering."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To reduce, as irregular blocks of stone, to an approximately level surface by hammering."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/spɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-spall.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/spɔl/",
"note": "without the cot–caught merger",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɑl/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɒl/",
"note": "of the US",
"tags": [
"Canada",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spoːl/",
"tags": [
"General-Australian",
"New-Zealand"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɔːl"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "lomja",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "ломя"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "troša",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "троша"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "pirstaloitua"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "sirpaloitua"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "mennä säpäleiksi"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "rozpaść się"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to break into fragments",
"word": "istucati"
}
],
"word": "spall"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Italian",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl",
"Rhymes:English/ɔːl/1 syllable"
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "it",
"3": "spalla"
},
"expansion": "Italian spalla",
"name": "der"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Italian spalla.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "spalls",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "spall (plural spalls)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with rare senses"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
84,
91
]
],
"ref": "1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 30, page 265:",
"text": "Their mightie ſtrokes their haberieons diſmayld, / And naked made each others manly ſpalles; […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The shoulder."
],
"links": [
[
"shoulder",
"shoulder"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, rare) The shoulder."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/spɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-spall.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-spall.wav.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/spɔl/",
"note": "without the cot–caught merger",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɑl/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spɒl/",
"note": "of the US",
"tags": [
"Canada",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/spoːl/",
"tags": [
"General-Australian",
"New-Zealand"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɔːl"
}
],
"word": "spall"
}
Download raw JSONL data for spall meaning in English (13.3kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (3dadd05 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.