(South Africa) The place where one releases oxen from a harness.
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An area on a farm kept available for travellers to rest and refresh their animals.
: “At the outspan or on the road or footpath he shouldered them aside as one walks through standing corn, not aggressively, but with the superb indifference of right and habit unquestioned.”
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(South Africa, transitive) To release oxen from a harness.
"outspan" means: To release oxen from a harness.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"outspan" means: To release oxen from a harness.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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