A body of coal left to sustain an overhanging mass.
Origin
From Middle English spurnen, spornen, from Old English spurnan ("to strike against, kick, spurn, reject; stumble"), from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną ("to tread, kick, knock out"), from Proto-Indo-European *sper-, *sperw-. Cognate with Scots spurn ("to strike, push, kick"), German anspornen ("to spur on"), Icelandic sporna, spyrna, Latin spernō ("despise, distain, scorn"). Related to spur and spread.
Modern English dictionary
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