sprain /spre I n/ (sprains , spraining , sprained )
1 VERB If you sprain a joint such as your ankle or wrist, you accidentally damage it by twisting it or bending it violently. □ [V n] He fell and sprained his ankle. ● sprained ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …a badly sprained ankle. □ His wrist was sprained.
2 N‑COUNT A sprain is the injury caused by spraining a joint.
sprang /spræ ŋ/ Sprang is the past tense of spring .
sprat /spræ t/ (sprats ) N‑COUNT Sprats are very small European sea fish which can be eaten.
sprawl /sprɔː l/ (sprawls , sprawling , sprawled )
1 VERB If you sprawl somewhere, you sit or lie down with your legs and arms spread out in a careless way. □ [V prep/adv] She sprawled on the bed as he had left her, not even moving to cover herself up. ● PHRASAL VERB Sprawl out means the same as sprawl . □ [V P prep] He would take two aspirin and sprawl out on his bed.
2 → see also sprawled
3 VERB If you say that a place sprawls , you mean that it covers a large area of land. □ [V prep] The State Recreation Area sprawls over 900 acres.
4 N‑UNCOUNT You can use sprawl to refer to an area where a city has grown outwards in an uncontrolled way. □ The whole urban sprawl of Ankara contains over 2.6m people.
sprawled /sprɔː ld/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] If you are sprawled somewhere, you are sitting or lying with your legs and arms spread out in a careless way. □ People are sprawled on makeshift beds in the cafeteria.
spray ◆◇◇ /spre I / (sprays , spraying , sprayed )
1 N‑VAR Spray is a lot of small drops of water which are being thrown into the air. □ [+ from/of ] The moon was casting a rainbow through the spray from the waterfall.
2 N‑VAR A spray is a liquid kept under pressure in a can or other container, which you can force out in very small drops. □ …hair spray. □ …a can of insect spray.
3 VERB If you spray a liquid somewhere or if it sprays somewhere, drops of the liquid cover a place or shower someone. □ [V n prep/adv] A sprayer hooked to a tractor can spray five gallons onto ten acres. □ [V n + with ] Two inmates hurled slates at prison officers spraying them with a hose. □ [V prep] Drops of blood sprayed across the room.
4 VERB If a lot of small things spray somewhere or if something sprays them, they are scattered somewhere with a lot of force. □ [V prep] A shower of mustard seeds sprayed into the air and fell into the grass. □ [V n prep] The intensity of the blaze shattered windows, spraying glass on the streets below. □ [V n + with ] The bullet slammed into the ceiling, spraying them with bits of plaster.
5 VERB If someone sprays bullets somewhere, they fire a lot of bullets at a group of people or things. □ [V n prep/adv] He ran to the top of the building spraying bullets into shoppers below. □ [be V -ed + with ] The army lorries were sprayed with machine gun fire from guerrillas in the woods. [Also V n]
6 VERB [usu passive] If something is sprayed , it is painted using paint kept under pressure in a container. □ [be V -ed + with ] The bare metal was sprayed with several coats of primer.
7 VERB When someone sprays against insects, they cover plants or crops with a chemical which prevents insects feeding on them. □ [V + against ] He doesn't spray against pests or diseases. □ [V n] Confine the use of insecticides to the evening and do not spray plants that are in flower. □ [V ] Because of the immunity of the immature insects, it's important to spray regularly. [Also V n prep]
8 N‑COUNT A spray is a piece of equipment for spraying water or another liquid, especially over growing plants.
9 N‑COUNT A spray of flowers or leaves is a number of flowers or leaves on one stem or branch. □ [+ of ] …a small spray of freesias. SYNONYMS spray VERB 3
squirt: Norman cut open his pie and squirted tomato sauce into it.
splash: He closed his eyes tight, and splashed the water on his face.
sprinkle: At the festival, candles are blessed and sprinkled with holy water.
spra y can (spray cans ) also spray-can N‑COUNT A spray can is a small metal container containing liquid such as paint under pressure so that it can be sprayed.
spray|er /spre I ə r / (sprayers ) N‑COUNT A sprayer is a piece of equipment used for spraying liquid somewhere.
spra y gun (spray guns ) also spray-gun N‑COUNT A spray gun is a piece of equipment which you use to spray paint under pressure onto a surface.
spra y paint (spray paints , spray painting , spray painted ) also spray-paint
1 N‑VAR Spray paint is paint bought in a special can which you spray on a surface by pressing a button on the top of the can. □ The walls have been horribly vandalized with spray paint.
2 VERB If you spray paint a surface, you paint it using spray paint. If you spray paint something on a surface, you paint it on that surface using spray paint. □ [V n] The youths are taught how to spray paint cars and mend fences. □ [V n + on ] He spray-painted his name on the wall.
spread ◆◆◇ /spre d/ (spreads , spreading , spread )
1 VERB If you spread something somewhere, you open it out or arrange it over a place or surface, so that all of it can be seen or used easily. □ [V n prep] She spread a towel on the sand and lay on it. ● PHRASAL VERB Spread out means the same as spread . □ [V n P ] He extracted several glossy prints and spread them out on a low coffee table. □ [V P n] In his room, Tom was spreading out a map of Scandinavia on the bed.