splay

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   To spread something out wide, especially fingers, legs, or feet, often in an awkward way.

   Grammar: Takes an object (splay your fingers) or none (her fingers splayed).

   Patterns

   • splay something out
   • splay out

   He splayed his fingers on the table to stop them shaking.

   The toddler's legs splayed as she tried to sit up.

   The cat lay on the rug with its paws splayed.

2. 2verbintransitivetechnical

   To slope outward at an angle, as the sides of a window frame, a leg, or a wall might.

   Grammar: Often as a participle: splayed legs, splayed walls.

   Patterns

   • splay outward

   The sides of the doorway splay outward to let in more light.

   The table's legs splay slightly for stability.

   The chimney's base splays into a wide hearth.

Word forms

Common combinations

splayed fingers

She held up her splayed fingers to show the wet nails.

splay out

Branches splayed out above the road.

splayed legs

A sleeping dog lay with splayed legs.

splay your toes

Splay your toes before you balance on one foot.

splayed feet

Ducks have splayed feet for swimming.

Synonyms and how they differ

spread

Spread is the everyday word for opening something out, whereas splay suggests it is wide, awkward or uneven.

sprawl

Sprawl describes the whole body or town stretching out loosely, while splay is usually about limbs or parts.

fan out

Fan out suggests an orderly spread like a fan, while splay is clumsier.

extend

Extend is neutral and means stretch outward, with no hint of awkward width.

Opposites

Word family

splayed adjective

spread out wide

splayfoot noun

a foot turned outward

splay-footed adjective

having feet that turn outward

Commonly confused: splay or display?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “splay”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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