spay

Meaning

Verb

To destroy or remove the ovaries and/or uterus (of a female animal) to prevent pregnancy.

Noun

The act of spaying an animal.

Noun

Rare spelling of spayard.

Synonyms

castrate

neuter

sterilize

alter

fix

cut away

cut back

cut out

edit

edit out

jab

mow

neutralize

nip off

pare

pierce

pinch

reduce

resect

retrench

scissor

sever

shear

slice

slit

snip

spade

stab

sterilise

tease

pare down

traverse

trim

unman

cut to

desex

operate on

slice up

snip off

asexualization

defeminise

defeminize

hysterectomize

carve

castration

cross

cut

Pronounced as (IPA)

/speɪ/

Etymology

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.