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spray 1 (sprā)
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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 (sprā)
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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)
spray2
spray 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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