# spay
## English
### Etymology 1

From Middle English spayen, spaien, from the Anglo-Norman espeier, equivalent to the Old French espeer (“to cut with a sword”), from espee (“sword”), whence the Modern French épée.

#### Alternative forms

* spaie [1500s]
* spave (archaic)
* spaye [1500s–1600s]
* spey

#### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: spā, IPA: /speɪ/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪ
* Homophone: Spey

#### Verb

spay (third-person singular simple present spays, present participle spaying, simple past spayed, past participle spayed or (obsolete) spade)
* (transitive) To destroy or remove the ovaries or uterus (of a female animal) to prevent pregnancy.
    Synonym: (obsolete except Ireland, Lancashire, Shropshire) splay
    We’re having our cat spayed as we don’t want her having kittens.
** 2016 November 13, Britt Peterson, “The Case Against Cats”, in The Atlantic‎:With their eye on non-island countries, namely America, the authors of Cat Wars argue for a combination of spay/neuter programs, enclosed sanctuaries, and euthanasia.

##### Synonyms

* castrate, emasculate (for a male)
* geld (used almost always of animals, especially male horses)
* neuter (used only of animals, especially pets)
* sterilize (used for all species and for both genders)

##### Translations
#### Noun

spay (plural spays)
* The act of spaying an animal.
** 1997 July 28, Sharon Talbert, “spay/abortion of pregnant cats”, in rec.pets.cat.rescue‎ (Usenet):I was queasy about my first spay of a far-gone feral and left it up to my vet.

#### References

* “spay, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

### Etymology 2

See spayard.

#### Noun

spay (plural spays)
* Rare spelling of spayard.

#### References

* “spay” listed as a variant spelling of “spaya(ɹ)d, spayd”, listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

spay (third-person singular simple present spays, present participle spaying, simple past and past participle spayed)
* Alternative form of spae (to foretell or divine)

### Anagrams

* APYs, AsPy, Pays, aspy, pays, pyas, yaps

## Middle English
### Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch speye; compare Middle Dutch spoye.

#### Alternative forms

* spey, speye

#### Noun

spay (plural spayes)
* sluice

#### References

* “†spay, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

### Etymology 2

See spayen.

#### Verb

spay (third-person singular simple present spayeth, present participle spayinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle spaied)
* alternative infinitive of spayen.

#### References

* “spay, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

## Scots
### Etymology

From Northern Middle English spā, from Old Norse spá (“to foretell, prophesy”), from Proto-Germanic *spahōną, *spehōną (“to observe”), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look”). Cognate with Old High German spehōn (“to peer, spy”) (whence German spähen), Middle Dutch spien, spieden (“to spy”) (whence Dutch spieden). More at spy.

### Noun

spay (plural spays)
* A prophecy; omen

### Verb

spay (third-person singular simple present spays, present participle spayin, simple past spayed, past participle spayed)
* Alternative form of spae