# spall

> English word · Noun · IPA /spɔːl/ · frequency rank #74,529

## Definitions
1. A splinter, fragment or chip, especially of stone.
2. A process of weathering, aging, or other wear that involves the crumbling of the substrate.

## Etymology
From Middle English spalle (“a chip”) (first documented in 1440), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from the Middle English verb spald (“to split”) (c.1400), from Middle Low German spalden, cognate with Old High German spaltan (“to split”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/spall