Sieht m-w-com aber anders:

Main Entry: springe
Pronunciation: 'sprinj
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English sprenge, springe; akin to Old English
springan to spring
1 : a noose fastened to an elastic body to catch small game
2 : SNARE, TRAP

BTW: In German there is a little diference between "mit" or "in" einer Schlinge fangen.

springe: a noose or snare for catching small game (Concise Oxford Dictionary)

That's an awfully obscure word, I've never heard it before. I think the entry should have a comment to that effect after it, as most english speakers wouldn't have the faintest idea what you were talking about if you started using the word springe!

How on earth did a word like that come to be in Leo anyway?

I stand (partly) corrected - should check my own COD before typing!

So the situation is that the English word "springe" has a NOUN form, meaning noose, snare or trap, but the existing VERB entry "to springe" is not legitimate and should be replaced by a noun entry.

Everyone agreed?

Über den Gebrauch des Wortes kann ich nichts sagen, aber ich habe auch die Verbform in mehreren Wörterbüchern gefunden:

springe, v.1
[f. springe n.]
1. trans. To catch in a springe or snare. Also refl. Freq. fig.
2. intr. To set snares.
[OED2]

–v.t.
2.to catch in a springe.
–v.i.
3.to set a springe or springes.
[RHWU]

springe noun a sprung snare that is used for trapping small wild animals and birds. verb (springed, springeing) 1 to set this kind of snare. 2 to catch something using this kind of snare.
ETYMOLOGY: 13c: related to spring.
[http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/chre...]

springe
noun 1. a snare for catching small game.
--verb (springed; springing)
--verb (t) 2. to catch in a springe.
--verb (i) 3. to set springes. [Middle English sprengen, akin to obsolete sprenge, verb, cause to spring, Old English sprengean]
[The Macquarie Dictionary]

wobei mir gerade auffällt, daß "Schlinge" eigentlich überhaupt nicht dem Wort "springe" entspricht. Das ist doch eher eine Falle, die zuschnappt, oder?

NOAD:
n. A noose or snare for catching small game.

Webster's Third:
¹springe - (n) 1: a noose fastened to an elastic body and drawn close with a sudden spring to catch a bird or other animal; 2: SNARE, TRAP <the herd mind was always laying ~s to catch the unwary -- V.L. Parrington>
²springe - (vt) to catch in a springe: ENSNARE; (vi) to set a springe

Pons-Collins:
Schlinge - loop [...] noose [...] sling [...] (= Falle) snare

__________


My guess is that those English speakers who know the noun know it from Shakespeare, which would be why it still appears in dictionaries, and should, including this one. I'd say it's relatively archaic, still used occasionally only for conscious (IMO pretentious) literary effect. Didn't know it was pronounced /sprinj/ either, learn something new every day, duh...

Like all the native speakers so far, I'd never heard of the verb at all. I'd either mark it rare or leave it out, unless someone can find a modern use. My web search turned up only this quote:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barret...
(poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1864)

Since 'springe' does mean 'noose/snare,' both of which involve a loop of rope (apparently held under tension and suddenly 'sprung' to pull tight), I'm not sure I understand what would be wrong about 'Schlinge.' What am I missing?

@hm -- us: thanks for your reply. I don't think you're missing anything. I didn't check the definitions for the noun "springe" carefully enough and only read the Chambers entry, which says:
a sprung snare
which gave me the impression that it must be something different that just a Schlinge, but I figure even if it is a Schlinge, it can still work with a spring (but what do I know....I'm not a trapper....)

Btw -- I'd like to contact you, could I ask you to send me a mail (leibold@in.tum.de)?