spray

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a usually flowering branch or shoot
2
: a decorative flat arrangement of flowers and foliage (as on a coffin)
3
: something (such as a jeweled pin) resembling a spray

spray

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: water flying in small drops or particles blown from waves or thrown up by a waterfall
2
a
: a jet of vapor or finely divided liquid
disinfectant sprays
b
: a device (such as an atomizer or sprayer) by which a spray is dispersed or applied
c(1)
: an application of a spray or by spraying
(2)
: a substance (such as paint) so applied

spray

3 of 3

verb

sprayed; spraying; sprays

transitive verb

1
: to project spray or something resembling spray on or into
spray the table
spraying the wall with bullets
2
: to disperse or apply as a spray
sprayed some perfume

intransitive verb

1
: to break up into spray
2
: to disperse or apply a spray
3
: to emit a stream or spray of urine
a cat may spray to mark its territory
sprayer noun

Examples of spray in a Sentence

Verb She sprayed herself with perfume. The crops are sprayed monthly. We were sprayed by water from the crashing waves. The boys sprayed graffiti on the wall. He sprayed the paint evenly over the surface. She sprayed some perfume into the air. The soda sprayed from the bottle. The blood sprayed onto the wall. They sprayed the crowd with bullets.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ritz was about to use her irritant spray when a person who lived on the property heard the commotion and pulled the dog away. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024 Do not follow large vehicles closely — Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2024 Ensure the blush stays in place To ensure your blush stays vibrant all day, Janay recommends setting spray. Tira Urquhart, Essence, 3 June 2024 But during the Colorado summer, there are few more fun things to do than hop in the car, hit the trail and bask in the spray of cascading snowmelt. Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for spray 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English *spræg, spræc

Noun (2)

obsolete English spray to sprinkle, from Middle Dutch sprayen

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1527, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spray was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near spray

Cite this Entry

“Spray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spray. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

spray

1 of 3 noun
: a usually flowering branch or shoot

spray

2 of 3 noun
1
: liquid flying in fine drops like water blown from a wave
2
a
: a burst of fine mist (as from an atomizer)
b
: a device (as an atomizer) for scattering a spray

spray

3 of 3 verb
1
: to scatter or apply as a spray
2
: to scatter spray on or into
sprayer noun

Medical Definition

spray

1 of 2 noun
: a jet of vapor or finely divided liquid
specifically : a jet of fine medicated vapor used as an application to a diseased part or to charge the air of a room with a disinfectant or deodorant

spray

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to emit a stream or spray of urine
a cat may spray to mark its territory

Legal Definition

spray

transitive verb
: to disperse among a number of recipients
authorized to spray trust incomeW. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

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