splay
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: splā
ipa: /spleɪ/
rhymes: -eɪ
Forms: form: splays
form: splaying
form: splayed
form: splayed
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 1951 August, P. W. Gentry, “Cliff Railways”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 515:
synonyms: broaden
display
widen
glosses: To spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand.
examples: text: 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, […]
ref: 1851, John Ruskin, “Form of Aperture”, in The Stones of Venice, volume I (The Foundations), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, § IV, page 170:
topics: architecture
glosses: To construct a bevel or slope on (something, such as the frame or jamb of a door or window); to bevel, to slant, to slope.
topics: computing
computing-theory
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To rearrange (a splay tree) so that a desired element is placed at the root.
topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: To dislocate (a body part such as a shoulder bone).
examples: text: Ye grounde yow vpon Godfrey, that grysly gargons face, / Your stondarde, Syr Olifranke, agenst me for to splay: […]
ref: 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:
text: 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: […]
ref: 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
glosses: To unfurl or unroll (a banner or flag).
glosses: To have, or lie in, an oblique or slanted position.
examples: text: "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.
ref: 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:
glosses: To spread out awkwardly; to sprawl.
Derived terms: word: splayed
word: splayer
word: splaying