Verb
He sat with his legs splayed apart.
She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.
His fingers splayed out over the table as he steadied himself.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The campaign is set on a beach with models splayed in lounge and swimwear with Burberry motifs throughout them.—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 20 May 2024 Still, Hamid feels deep in his gut that the slim, bespectacled scholar hunched over his books in the library is the monster who left him with a map of scars splayed across his back, not to mention psychological wounds that may never heal.—Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for splay
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'splay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English splaien "to unfurl, spread out, spread-eagle, split (a fish) lengthwise and lay open," aphetic form of displaien "to unfurl (a banner), spread (the arms), display entry 1"
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