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
1
: water flying in small drops or particles blown from waves or thrown up by a waterfall
sprayed; spraying; sprays
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
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
Synonyms
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
Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Brown noted that the Kings went 9 of 11 on spray 3s in the second half.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
The remaining fragments of the protons also generate sprays of extraneous particles.
—Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
Besides the citrusy aroma, there’s a lot to love about the eco-friendly subscription service, including the reusable spray bottles—and the fact that just a small spritz of multi-surface, all-purpose cleaner is enough to banish grease from your cooktop.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
The silicone is a good level of squishy – firm, yet soft – and gives off a strong, but not too strong, spray.
—Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Finally, curl the face-framing pieces and add a spritz of shine spray for a shiny and sleek finish.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Experts say the way to fight back against allergies is to take oral medications or use nasal spray.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Put the mixture into a spray bottle with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
—Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2024
Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
One attendee of a banquet in Lille in 1454 recalled a statue of a naked girl, guarded by a real lion, who sprayed mulled wine from her right breast.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
When all of the details feel just right, Barrois sprays the sculpture with a clear matte acrylic coat.
—Julia Carmel Jessica Lehrman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Farmers threw beets, sprayed manure at police and set hay alight on Tuesday as hundreds of tractors again sealed off streets close to the European Union headquarters, where agriculture ministers sought to ease a crisis that has led to months of protests across the 27-member bloc.
—Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024
The classic user manual says that it should be sprayed at a distance of about six inches, leaving it on for a couple of minutes and then brushing it out.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
The Paladins jumped around and sprayed water and basked in the national limelight and exhausted precious emotional reserves … and lost 75-52 against SDSU two days later.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
To protect your tree and ward off the wildlife, try spraying the tree with a cayenne pepper and water mixture (16 parts water, one part cayenne pepper).
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024
During the pandemic, airlines sprayed the cabin interiors with chemical cleaners that left some passengers with a headache.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
There are many non-toxic, benzene-free dry shampoos, both spray and powder, available on today’s market.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Brown noted that the Kings went 9 of 11 on spray 3s in the second half.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
The remaining fragments of the protons also generate sprays of extraneous particles.
—Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
Besides the citrusy aroma, there’s a lot to love about the eco-friendly subscription service, including the reusable spray bottles—and the fact that just a small spritz of multi-surface, all-purpose cleaner is enough to banish grease from your cooktop.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 25 Mar. 2024
The silicone is a good level of squishy – firm, yet soft – and gives off a strong, but not too strong, spray.
—Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Finally, curl the face-framing pieces and add a spritz of shine spray for a shiny and sleek finish.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Experts say the way to fight back against allergies is to take oral medications or use nasal spray.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
Put the mixture into a spray bottle with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
—Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
The premium category also includes 4DX, a motion experience designed to enhance what’s on the screen by moving seats and spraying water, among other gimmicks.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
One attendee of a banquet in Lille in 1454 recalled a statue of a naked girl, guarded by a real lion, who sprayed mulled wine from her right breast.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
When all of the details feel just right, Barrois sprays the sculpture with a clear matte acrylic coat.
—Julia Carmel Jessica Lehrman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Farmers threw beets, sprayed manure at police and set hay alight on Tuesday as hundreds of tractors again sealed off streets close to the European Union headquarters, where agriculture ministers sought to ease a crisis that has led to months of protests across the 27-member bloc.
—Raf Casert, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024
The classic user manual says that it should be sprayed at a distance of about six inches, leaving it on for a couple of minutes and then brushing it out.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
The Paladins jumped around and sprayed water and basked in the national limelight and exhausted precious emotional reserves … and lost 75-52 against SDSU two days later.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
To protect your tree and ward off the wildlife, try spraying the tree with a cayenne pepper and water mixture (16 parts water, one part cayenne pepper).
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024
During the pandemic, airlines sprayed the cabin interiors with chemical cleaners that left some passengers with a headache.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
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
Phrases Containing spray
Dictionary Entries Near spray
Cite this Entry
“Spray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spray. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
spray
1 of 3 noun
: a usually flowering branch or shoot
spray
2 of 3 noun1
: 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 verb1
: 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 income—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
More from Merriam-Webster on spray
Nglish: Translation of spray for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of spray for Arabic Speakers
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