spreath

/spɹiːθ/

Etymology

From Scots, from Scottish Gaelic sprèidh, from Middle Irish spréid (“cattle, wealth”), from Latin praeda (“plunder, spoils; profit; prey”), thus a doublet of prey. Per one hypothesis, also a doublet of spree.

Why this word is great

SPREATH — [Noun] A raid conducted to steal cattle. From Scots, tracing back to Scottish Gaelic sprèidh ("cattle"), itself from Middle Irish spréid ("cattle, wealth"), and ultimately Latin praeda ("plunder, spoils"), making it a distant cousin to "prey" and perhaps "spree." Unlike "raid" (a blunt instrument of any sudden attack) or "plunder" (a greedy fist clutching at any spoils), spreath is a blade honed for one purpose: the taking of beasts. It is the muffled hoofbeats of stolen cattle driven through mist, the acrid tang of sweat on men who move like shadows, the weight of a rope coiled in anticipation—a crime as old as ownership itself, where wealth walks on four legs.

noun

  1. A raid in order to steal cattle.“It was then as much the scene of continual spreaths, liftings, reavings, and herriments, as the Border country itself.”