Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Amount that can be held in two hands cupped together.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Two hands cupped together.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English yespon, yepson, ȝespon, ȝespen, ȝispon (“a measure of volume equivalent to that contained in a person’s hands cupped together”), probably from Old English *ġēapsponn, *ġēapspann, from Old English *ġēap (“bent, curved”) + spann (“measure of the palm or hand”), equivalent to gap + span. Compare West Frisian gasp (“buckle, clasp”), Dutch gesp (“buckle, clasp”), Middle Low German gespe (“the cavity between the hands when held together”), Old Norse gaupn (“hollow made by cupped hands”). Doublet of gowpen.
