Link Centre Dictionary

sprawl

UK/spɹɔːl/ US/spɹoːl/ rare
verb (2) noun (1)

verb

1.

sit or lie with one''s limbs spread out

2.

go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way

  • “Branches straggling out quite far”
Synonyms

noun

1.

Origin

From Middle English spraulen, from Old English spreawlian (“move convulsively”), ultimately through a Proto-Germanic form cognate with *spreutaną (“to sprout”) from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to strew”). Compare North Frisian spraweli, Norwegian sprala, Swedish sprala.

Phrases

  • Los Angelization
  • suburban sprawl
  • urban sprawl

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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.