splay

1 of 3

verb

ˈsplā 

splayed; splaying; splays

transitive verb

1

: to cause to spread outward

2

: to make oblique : bevel

intransitive verb

1

: to extend apart or outward especially in an awkward manner

2

: slope, slant

splay

2 of 3

noun

1

: a slope or bevel especially of the sides of a door or window

2

: spread, expansion

splay

3 of 3

adjective

1

: turned outward

splay knees

2

: awkward, ungainly

Examples of splay in a Sentence

Verb

He sat with his legs splayed apart.

She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.

His fingers splayed out over the table as he steadied himself.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As the footage continues, the pair falls out of sight behind the white sedan for about a minute before the sedan suddenly speeds away, revealing one man splayed across the ground as the gunman appears to straddle him. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026

Isabelle hops, arms splayed upward, hits the water, and swims to Mom. —Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026

Noun

The wide toe box for foot splay and limited structure allows the foot to naturally strengthen. —Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 6 Jan. 2026

The design delivers unsurpassed toe splay, enforced by the separate toe pockets, and a close-to-the-ground, near-barefoot ride. —Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 23 June 2025

Adjective

Available in wide and extra-wide sizes, these boots allow your toes to naturally splay. —Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

Our thoughts went back to the splay-foot tracks. —Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English splaien "to unfurl, spread out, spread-eagle, split (a fish) lengthwise and lay open," aphetic form of displaien "to unfurl (a banner), spread (the arms), display entry 1"

Noun

derivative of splay entry 1

Adjective

derivative of splay entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for splay

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

splay

verb

ˈsplā

: to spread out or apart

a colt with legs splayed out