splay

present singular third person splays · participle present splaying · participle past splayed · past splayed

1. transitiveTo spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand.

   The tracks are laid with the inner rails only 10 in. apart, except at the half way point (North Walk) where they are splayed out to allow the cars to pass.

   1951 August, P. W. Gentry, “Cliff Railways”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 515

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   Thiſſame ſo great a chaunge of the world, begoonne within a fewe yeares after Chriſt was putte to death, to be made generall and common through al the whold worlde, and withoute any maintenaunce or ſupportacion of mã [man], it encreaced from tyme to tyme ſtill more and more, vntyll the piece of leauen beeyng miengled in three peckes of meale did leauen and turne al the whole batche, and vntill the graine of muſtard ſeed beeyng digged into the yearth, did ferre and wyde ſpleigh his boughes abrode ouer Aſia, ouer Afrike, and Europe.

   1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The Preface of Erasmus vnto His Paraphrase vpon the Ghospell of Luke. Unto the Moostle Puissaunt and Most Victorious Prince Henry the Eight, King of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, […].”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xi, verso

   The Lydian maiden in her web did portray to her full / […] / Aſteriee ſtruggling with an Erne which did away hir beare, / And ouer Leda ſhe had made a Swan his wings to ſplay.

   1567, Ovid, “The Sixt Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC, folio 69, recto

   At Hounslow, the existing running lines would need splaying to create two turnback sidings inbetween ^([sic]) them, to help accommodate the planned service of 4tph.

   2026 March 18, David Stubbings, “New London Overground route electrification plan”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 17

   Synonyms: broaden, display, widen

2. transitivearchitectureTo construct a bevel or slope on (something, such as the frame or jamb of a door or window); to bevel, to slant, to slope.

   1 more example

   When entrance and egress [through a door] are constant, it may be supposed that the valves will be absent or unfastened,—that people will be passing more quickly than when the entrance and egress are unfrequent, and that the square angles of the wall will be inconvenient to such quick passers through. […] [T]hese angles, which would be worn away by friction, should at once be bevelled off, or, as it is called, splayed, and the most contracted part of the aperture made as short as possible, […]

   1851, John Ruskin, “Form of Aperture”, in The Stones of Venice, volume I (The Foundations), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, § IV, page 170

3. transitivecomputingTo rearrange (a splay tree) so that a desired element is placed at the root.
4. transitivemedicineTo dislocate (a body part such as a shoulder bone).
5. obsoletetransitiveTo unfurl or unroll (a banner or flag).

   Ye grounde yow vpon Godfrey, that grysly gargons face, / Your stondarde, Syr Olifranke, agenst me for to splay: […]

   a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Poems against Garnesche”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 119, lines 29–30

   1 more example

   We rendred then with ſaftie for our liues, / Our Enſignes ſplayed, and manyging our armes, / With furder fayth, that from all kinde of giues, / Our ſouldiours ſhould remayne withouten harmes: […]

   1576, George Gascoigne, “The Fruites of Warre, Written vppon This Theame, Dulce Bellum Inexpertis, […]”, in The Posies of George Gascoigne Esquire. […], London: […] H[enry] Bynneman for Richard Smith, […], →OCLC, stanza 168, page cl

   Synonyms: display

6. intransitiveTo have, or lie in, an oblique or slanted position.
7. intransitiveTo spread out awkwardly; to sprawl.

   "What a finger!" says Mrs. Ponto, and indeed it was a finger, as knotted as a turkey's drumstick, and splaying all over the piano. When she had banged out the tune slowly, she began a different manner of "Gettin' up Stairs," and did so with a fury and swiftness quite incredible.

   1846 February 28 – 1847 February 27, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “On Some Country Snobs”, in The Book of Snobs, London: Punch Office, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 95

comparative more splay · superlative most splay

1. Oblique, slanted.
2. Turned outward; spread out.

   to sit splay-legged

3. figurativelyCrooked, distorted, out of place.

   splay shoulders

   2 more examples

   In the German mind, as in the German language, there does seem to be something splay, something blunt-edged, unhandy, and infelicitous,—some want of quick, fine, sure perception, which tends to balance the great superiority of the Germans in knowledge, and in the disposition to deal impartially with knowledge.

   1873, Matthew Arnold, “Preface”, in Literature & Dogma: An Essay towards a Better Apprehension of the Bible, London: Smith, Elder, & Co. […], →OCLC, page xxvi

   We have a fellow on board, an Irish-American, for all the world like a beggar in a print by [Georges] Callot; one-eyed, with great, splay crow's-feet round the sockets; […]

   1879–1880, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Steerage Types”, in The Amateur Emigrant: From the Clyde to Sandy Hook, Chicago, Ill.: Stone and Kimball, published 18 January 1895, →OCLC, page 57

   Synonyms: awry

comparative more splay · superlative most splay

1. In an oblique or slanted manner; obliquely, slantedly.

   Synonyms: slantingly, slantwise, slopingly

2. Of walking, etc.: with the feet turned outwards; in a splayfooted manner.

   Synonyms: splayfoot

plural splays

1. An outward spread of an object such as a bowl or cup.
2. alsoattributivearchitectureA bevel, slant, or slope, especially of the frame or jamb of a door or window, by which an opening is made larger at one face of the wall than at the other, or larger at each of the faces than it is between them.

   The daylight was so lowered by the impervious roof of cloud overhead that it scarcely reached further into Lord Mountclere's entrance-hall than to the splays of the windows, even but an hour or two after midday; […]

   1876, Thomas Hardy, “Lychworth Court”, in The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 141

3. alsoattributivearchitectureThe amount of such a bevel, slant, or slope.
4. roadA widening of a minor road where it forms a junction with a major road to ensure that the view of traffic on the major road by drivers on the minor road is not obstructed.

   visibility splay

5. roadThe view to the left or right which a driver on a minor road has of traffic on the major road; also, a plan showing this.

present singular third person splays · participle present splaying · participle past splayed · past splayed

1. Shropshiretransitiveobsolete except IrelandSynonym of spay (“to destroy or remove the ovaries and/or uterus (of a female animal) to prevent pregnancy”).

   [T]o ſay nothing of the knovvn practice of ſplaying Svvine and Bitches; […]

   1663, Robert Boyle, “Essay V. Proposing Some Particulars wherein Natural Philosophy may be Useful to the Therapeutical Part of Physick.”, in Some Considerations Touching the Vsefulnesse of Experimental Naturall Philosophy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Hen[ry] Hall printer to the University, for Ric[hard] Davis, →OCLC, part II, section I (Of It’s Usefulness to Physick), chapter XII, page 234

   2 more examples

   Sovves alſo are ſplaied as vvell as camels, but tvvo daies before, they be kept from meat; then hang they them by the forelegs for to make inciſion into their matrice [womb], and to take forth their ſtones: and by this means they vvill ſooner grovv to be fat.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book VIII.] Of Swine and Their Natures.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 230

   Eſc[alus]. Hovv vvould you liue Pompey? by being a bavvd? […] the Lavv vvould not allovv it Pompey; nor it ſhall not be allovved in Vienna. / Clo[wne, i.e., Pompey Bum, a pimp]. Do's your VVorſhip meane to geld and ſplay all the youth of the City?

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 66, column 2

   Synonyms: spay