Link Centre Dictionary

splay

US/spleɪ/ uncommon obsolete
noun (1) adjective (1) verb (3)

noun

1.

an outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger

adjective

1.

turned outward in an ungainly manner

  • “splay knees”
Similar

verb

1.

spread open or apart

  • “He splayed his huge hands over the table”
2.

turn outward

  • “These birds can splay out their toes”
  • “ballet dancers can rotate their legs out by 90 degrees”
Synonyms
3.

move out of position

  • “dislocate joints”
  • “the artificial hip joint luxated and had to be put back surgically”
Synonyms

Origin

PIE word *dwís The verb is derived from Middle English splaien, splayen (“to display; to spread out, unfurl (a flag, etc.); (cooking) to cut open (a fish) lengthwise and lay it open; (figurative) to appear; to spread”), an aphetic form of Middle English displaien, displayen (“to display”): see display. The adjective and adverb are derived from the verb, or from splayfoot (noun) or splayfooted (adjective). The noun is derived from the verb.

Phrases

  • splay tree

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.