splay

Verb

1. (transitive) To spread, spread apart, or spread out (something); to expand.
2. (transitive) 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.
3. (transitive) To rearrange (a splay tree) so that a desired element is placed at the root.
4. (transitive) To dislocate (a body part such as a shoulder bone).
5. (obsolete, transitive) To unfurl or unroll (a banner or flag).
6. (intransitive) To have, or lie in, an oblique or slanted position.
7. (intransitive) To spread out awkwardly; to sprawl.

Adj

1. Oblique, slanted.
2. Turned outward; spread out.
3. (figuratively) Crooked, distorted, out of place.

Adv

1. In an oblique or slanted manner; obliquely, slantedly.
2. Of walking, etc.: with the feet turned outwards; in a splayfooted manner.

Noun

1. An outward spread of an object such as a bowl or cup.
2. (also, attributive) A bevel, slant, or slope, especially of the frame or jamb of a door or window, by which an opening is made larger at one face of the wall than at the other, or larger at each of the faces than it is between them.
3. (also, attributive) The amount of such a bevel, slant, or slope.
4. A widening of a minor road where it forms a junction with a major road to ensure that the view of traffic on the major road by drivers on the minor road is not obstructed.
5. The view to the left or right which a driver on a minor road has of traffic on the major road; also, a plan showing this.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/spleɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: splaien

In summary

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.

Synonyms

spread out

spread

expand

slant

turn out

rotate

bevel

awkward

dislocate

twist

luxate

slip

circumvent

circumvolve

clumsy

coarse

crude

cycle

deploy

diffuse

dilate

disperse

disseminate

distort

distribute

divaricate

effuse

enlarge

extend

flair

flare

give forth

go around

inartistic

incline

itinerate

large

launch

loop

➿

move around

oblique

orbit

outstretch

pan

pivot

pronate

propagate

put out

roll

round