spray 1  (spr ā)
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n.1. a. Water or other liquid moving in a mass of dispersed droplets, as from a wave. b. A moving mass of particles or projectiles: a spray of bullets. 2. a. A fine jet of liquid discharged from a pressurized container. b. A pressurized container; an atomizer. c. Any of numerous commercial products, including paints, cosmetics, and insecticides, that are dispensed from containers in this manner. v. sprayed, spray·ing, sprays v.tr.1. To disperse (a liquid, for example) in a mass or jet of droplets, particles, or small pieces. 2. To apply a spray to (a surface); hit with a spray. v.intr.1. To discharge sprays of liquid. 2. To be directed or dispersed in a spray. 3. Zoology To urinate on various objects as a way of marking territory.
[From obsolete spray, to sprinkle, from Middle Dutch sprayen.]
sprayer n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
spray 2  (spr ā)
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n.1. A small branch bearing buds, flowers, or berries. 2. Something, such as a decorative motif, that resembles such a branch.
[Middle English, from Old English *spræg.]  (click for a larger image) spray2spray brooch |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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