Meaning & use
sporran
Last updated
UK/ˈspɒrən/
US/ˈspɔːrən/
Meaning
nouncountable
A small pouch, often made of fur or leather, worn on a belt at the front of a kilt to hold small items.
Grammar: You can count them: a sporran, two sporrans.
Patterns
- wear a sporran
- a sporran made of something
He kept his keys and wallet in his sporran.
The bagpiper wore a kilt with a fur sporran.
Her grandfather's leather sporran had a silver clasp.
Word forms
| plural | sporrans |
|---|
Common combinations
- leather sporran
- He bought a leather sporran for the wedding.
- wear a sporran
- Men often wear a sporran with a kilt at formal events.
- sporran chain
- The sporran chain hung from his belt.
- fur sporran
- The fur sporran was trimmed with silver.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pouch
- Pouch is a general word for any small bag, while a sporran belongs specifically to Highland dress.
- purse
- A purse usually holds money and is carried by hand or in a bag, unlike a sporran, which hangs from the belt.
- A pocket is sewn into clothing, whereas a sporran hangs outside it because kilts have none.
Word family
Commonly confused: sporran or spore?
sporran vs spore
A spore is a tiny reproductive cell of fungi or plants; it is unrelated to the pouch.
Practice
A traditional kilt has no pockets, so he carried his phone in his ___.
Choose one answer.
A sporran is the pouch worn at the front of a kilt. A satchel hangs from the shoulder, and a scabbard holds a sword.
Make it your own
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