I. ˈspanyəl, chiefly archaic or dial -n ə l noun
Etymology: Middle English spaynel, spaniell, from Middle French espaignol, literally, Spaniard, from Old Provençal espanhol, from Old Italian spagnuolo — more at spagnuolo
1.
a. usually capitalized : any of numerous breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs usually having long wavy hair, feathered legs and tail, and large drooping ears — see english toy spaniel , field spaniel , water spaniel
b. -s sometimes capitalized : a dog of one of these breeds
2. -s : a cringing servile fawning person
office seekers, … spaniels well-trained to carry and fetch — Walt Whitman
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
: to play about like a spaniel : frolic , sport
transitive verb
: to follow especially fawningly after
the hearts that spanieled me at heels — Shakespeare