Etymology

splay

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Today it means: To spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand. Full definition →

Middle English splaien
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splay · verb, adjective, adverb, noun1

  1. Middle English · derived fromdisplaien
  2. Middle English · inherited fromsplaien
  3. English todaysplay

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.

splay · verb2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromsplaien
  2. English todaysplay

From Middle English splaien, splayen, a variant of spaien, spayen (“to remove the ovaries of (a female animal), spay; to stab or kill (an animal)”): see spay.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.