colt evil

English

Alternative forms
  • colt's evil

Noun

colt evil (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) A swelling in the genitals of horses; also (by extension), priapism.
    • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, partition III, section 2, member 2, subsection i:
      young folks most apt to love, and by their good wills, saith Lucian, ‘would have a bout with every one they see’: the colt's evil is common to all complexions.
    • 1722, William Gibson, The Farrier's New Guide, 3rd edition, chapter XLV:
      The Colt-evil is a continued Stiffness in a Horse's Yard, and is so call'd, because it is a Disease incident to Colts, and is brought upon them by having full Liberty with Mares while they are not able to cover them […].
    • 1838, R Bowers, A Modern and Practical Treatise on the Diseases of Horses:
      The Colt Evil chiefly affects young stoned colts, which have full liberty with mares before they are able to cover them.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.