Adjacent Words

Spray definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPRAY, n. [probably allied to sprig. The radical sense is a shoot.]
1. A small shoot or branch; or the extremity of a branch. Hence in England, spray faggots are bundles of small branches, used as fuel.
2. Among seamen, the water that is driven from the top of a wave in a storm, which spreads and flies in small particles. It differs from spoon-drift; as spray is only occasional, whereas spoon-drift flies continually along the surface of the sea.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
2: a quantity of small objects flying through the air; "a spray of bullets" [syn: spray, spraying]
3: flower arrangement consisting of a single branch or shoot bearing flowers and foliage
4: a dispenser that turns a liquid (such as perfume) into a fine mist [syn: atomizer, atomiser, spray, sprayer, nebulizer, nebuliser]
5: water in small drops in the atmosphere; blown from waves or thrown up by a waterfall
6: a jet of vapor v
1: be discharged in sprays of liquid; "Water sprayed all over the floor"
2: scatter in a mass or jet of droplets; "spray water on someone"; "spray paint on the wall"
3: cover by spraying with a liquid; "spray the wall with paint"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English *spręg, spręc Date: 13th century 1. a usually flowering branch or shoot 2. a decorative flat arrangement of flowers and foliage (as on a coffin) 3. something (as a jeweled pin) resembling a spray II. noun Etymology: obsolete English spray to sprinkle, from Middle Dutch sprayen Date: 1621 1. water flying in small drops or particles blown from waves or thrown up by a waterfall 2. a. a jet of vapor or finely divided liquid <disinfectant sprays> b. a device (as an atomizer or sprayer) by which a spray is dispersed or applied c. (1) an application of a spray or by spraying (2) a substance (as paint) so applied III. verb Date: 1527 transitive verb 1. to project spray or something resembling spray on or into <spray the table> <spraying the wall with bullets> 2. to disperse or apply as a spray <sprayed some perfume> intransitive verb 1. to break up into spray 2. to disperse or apply a spray 3. to emit a stream or spray of urine <a cat may spray to mark its territory> • sprayer noun

NOAA Weather Glossary

An ensemble of water droplets torn by the wind from an extensivebody of water, generally from the crests of waves, and carried up into the air in suchquantities that it reduces the horizontal visibility.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 water or other liquid flying in small drops from the force of the wind, the dashing of waves, or the action of an atomizer etc. 2 a liquid preparation to be applied in this form with an atomizer etc., esp. for medical purposes. 3 an instrument or apparatus for such application. --v.tr. (also absol.) 1 throw (liquid) in the form of spray. 2 sprinkle (an object) with small drops or particles, esp. (a plant) with an insecticide. 3 (absol.) (of a tom-cat) mark its environment with the smell of its urine, as an attraction to females. Phrases and idioms: spray-dry (-dries, -dried) dry (milk etc.) by spraying into hot air etc. spray-gun a gunlike device for spraying paint etc. spray-paint paint (a surface) by means of a spray. Derivatives: sprayable adj. sprayer n. Etymology: earlier spry, perh. rel. to MDu. spra(e)yen, MHG spræjen sprinkle 2. n. 1 a sprig of flowers or leaves, or a branch of a tree with branchlets or flowers, esp. a slender or graceful one. 2 an ornament in a similar form (a spray of diamonds). Derivatives: sprayey adj. Etymology: ME f. OE spræg (unrecorded)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spray Spray, n. [probably from a Dutch or Low German form akin to E. spread. See Spread, v. t.] 1. Water flying in small drops or particles, as by the force of wind, or the dashing of waves, or from a waterfall, and the like. 2. (Med.) (a) A jet of fine medicated vapor, used either as an application to a diseased part or to charge the air of a room with a disinfectant or a deodorizer. (b) An instrument for applying such a spray; an atomizer. Spray condenser (Steam Engine) an injection condenser in which the steam is condensed by a spray of water which mingles with it.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spray Spray, v. t. 1. To let fall in the form of spray. [Poetic] --M. Arnold. 2. To throw spray upon; to treat with a liquid in the form of spray; as, to spray a wound, or a surgical instrument, with carbolic acid.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spray Spray (spr>amac/), n. [Cf. Dan. sprag. See Sprig.] 1. A small shoot or branch; a twig. --Chaucer. The painted birds, companions of the spring, Hopping from spray, were heard to sing. --Dryden. 2. A collective body of small branches; as, the tree has a beautiful spray. And from the trees did lop the needless spray. --Spenser. 3. (Founding) (a) A side channel or branch of the runner of a flask, made to distribute the metal in all parts of the mold. (b) A group of castings made in the same mold and connected by sprues formed in the runner and its branches. --Knight. Spray drain (Agric.), a drain made by laying under earth the sprays or small branches of trees, which keep passages open.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sprays, spraying, sprayed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Spray is a lot of small drops of water which are being thrown into the air. The moon was casting a rainbow through the spray from the waterfall... N-VAR: oft N from/of n 2. A spray is a liquid kept under pressure in a can or other container, which you can force out in very small drops. ...hair spray. ...a can of insect spray. N-MASS 3. If you spray a liquid somewhere or if it sprays somewhere, drops of the liquid cover a place or shower someone. A sprayer hooked to a tractor can spray five gallons onto ten acres... Two inmates hurled slates at prison officers spraying them with a hose... Drops of blood sprayed across the room. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n with n, V prep 4. If a lot of small things spray somewhere or if something sprays them, they are scattered somewhere with a lot of force. A shower of mustard seeds sprayed into the air and fell into the grass... The intensity of the blaze shattered windows, spraying glass on the streets below... The bullet slammed into the ceiling, spraying them with bits of plaster. VERB: V prep, V n prep, V n with n 5. If someone sprays bullets somewhere, they fire a lot of bullets at a group of people or things. He ran to the top of the building spraying bullets into shoppers below... The army lorries were sprayed with machine gun fire from guerrillas in the woods. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n with n 6. If something is sprayed, it is painted using paint kept under pressure in a container. The bare metal was sprayed with several coats of primer. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed with n, also V n colour 7. When someone sprays against insects, they cover plants or crops with a chemical which prevents insects feeding on them. He doesn't spray against pests or diseases... Confine the use of insecticides to the evening and do not spray plants that are in flower... Because of the immunity of the immature insects, it's important to spray regularly. VERB: V against n, V n, V, also V n prep 8. A spray is a piece of equipment for spraying water or another liquid, especially over growing plants. N-COUNT 9. A spray of flowers or leaves is a number of flowers or leaves on one stem or branch. ...a small spray of freesias. N-COUNT: N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Twig, shoot, sprig, branch, bough. 2. Foam, froth, spume.

Moby Thesaurus

aerate, aerify, aerosol, antiaircraft barrage, appendage, arm, asperge, aspergil, aspergillum, atomize, atomizer, barrage, bedew, bespatter, besprinkle, bine, bough, boughpot, bouquet, boutonniere, bowshot, box barrage, branch, branchedness, branchiness, breakers, broadside, bullet, burgeon, burst, buttonhole, cannon, cannonade, cannonry, carbonate, censer, chaplet, chlorinate, clyster, collar, concentrate sprayer, corsage, creeping barrage, dabble, damp, dampen, dash, deadwood, detonation, dew, diffuse, discharge, disperse, distill, douche, drizzle, drumfire, ejection, emergency barrage, emit, enema, enfilade, etherify, etherize, evaporate, evaporator, exhale, festoon, flagellum, flower arrangement, fluidize, flush, foam, font, fork, fount, fountain, fountain syringe, fractionate, frond, froth, fume, fumigate, fumigator, fusillade, garland, gasify, geyser, give off, gun, gunfire, gunshot, gush, hand, head, hose, hose down, humect, humectate, humidify, hydrogenate, imp, incense burner, incensory, irrigate, jet, joint, lather, leg, lei, limb, link, lobe, lobule, member, meringue, mist, mist concentrate sprayer, moisten, mortar barrage, mousse, needle bath, normal barrage, nosegay, nozzle, odorator, odorizer, offscum, offshoot, organ, oxygenate, paddle, parfumoir, perfume, perfumer, pinion, plash, play, pomander, posy, potpourri, potshot, pouncet-box, puff, purse atomizer, ramage, ramification, reek, retort, runner, rush, sachet, salvo, sarment, scatter, scent bag, scent ball, scent bottle, scent box, scenter, scion, scud, scum, sea foam, send out, shoot, shot, shower, shower bath, shower head, slip, slobber, slop, slosh, smelling bottle, smoke, soapsuds, souffle, sparge, sparger, spatter, spear, spew, spindrift, spit, splash, splatter, sponge, spoondrift, spout, spouter, spray can, sprayer, spread, sprig, sprinkle, sprinkler, sprinkler head, sprinkling, sprinkling system, sprit, spritz, sprout, spume, spur, spurt, spurtle, squirt, standing barrage, steam, still, stinging, stolon, stoneshot, sublimate, sublime, sucker, suds, surf, surge, swash, switch, syringe, tail, tattoo, tendril, thallus, thurible, twig, vaporize, vaporizer, vinaigrette, volatilize, volley, vomit, vomit forth, vomit out, water, watercart, watering can, watering pot, well, wet, wet down, white water, wing, wreath