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plural spelks
(Northern English) A splinter, usually of wood. examples
(Northern English) A wooden splinter caught under the skin. examples
(Northern English) A rod or switch. examples
(aerospace) Unusably short lengths of fibre-reinforced material, such as prepreg. examples
third-person singular simple present spelks, present participle spelking, simple past and past participle spelked
(transitive, Northern English) To use a spelk in or on. quotations examples
A spelk is often a hazel of two or three years' growth. It is pointed at each end, and is three or four feet long, and is placed at right angles with the thatch to hold it down. Sometimes a bit of very neat work is displayed in the spelking of the thatch […]
1884, Notes and Queries, page 193