spray

/spɹeɪ/

spray noun: a fine, gentle, dispersed mist of liquid.

Image: Marek Ślusarczyk ( Tupungato ) Photo gallery, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun (1)

spray (countable and uncountable, plural sprays)

A fine, gentle, dispersed mist of liquid.
- The sailor could feel the spray from the waves.
- A strong sirocco was blowing the spray from the waves as far as the little café, whose glass doors were shut. The café reeked of brewing sage and human beings whose breath steamed the windows because of the cold outside.1952, Nikos Kazantzakis, chapter 1, in Carl Wildman, transl., Zorba the Greek, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, translation of Βίος και πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά [Víos kai politeía tou Aléxi...
(figuratively) Something resembling a spray of liquid.
- Nurse Cramer had a cute nose and a radiant, blooming complexion dotted with fetching sprays of adorable freckles that Yossarian detested.1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 171
(countable) A pressurized container; an atomizer.

Synonyms:

spray can
(countable) Any of numerous commercial products, including paints, cosmetics, and insecticides, that are dispensed from containers in this manner.

Synonyms:

spray can
(countable) A jet of fine medicated vapour, used either as an application to a diseased part or to charge the air of a room with a disinfectant or a deodorizer.
(countable) A side channel or branch of the runner of a flask, made to distribute the metal to all parts of the mold.
(countable) A group of castings made in the same mold and connected by sprues formed in the runner and its branches.
(countable) The allocation and filling of blocks of memory with the same byte sequence, hoping to establish that sequence in a certain predetermined location as part of an exploit.
- This approach would be altered for an optimal omelette based exploit. One would spray the heap with the omelette code solely, then load a single copy of the additional shellcode eggs into memory outside the target region for the spray.2015, Herbert Bos, Fabian Monrose, Gregory Blanc, Research in Attacks, Intrusions, and Defenses: 18th International Symposium
(Australia) A loud scolding or reprimand, usually delivered by a sports coach or similar figure.
- On match days he could give a good spray, and in many ways he was an old-fashioned coach, having learned a lot of his approach from Ron Barassi.2008, Robert Harvey, Harves: Strength Through Loyalty, Macmillan Publishers Aus., →ISBN, page 119
- Expectations of what they will put up with have changed and a big spray probably doesn't have the effect it used to have. It certainly worked for me, I would get really aggressive and get fired up 'cause it's a motivational device they used.2008, Kevin Hillier, Rocket Science: The Biography of Rodney Eade, Macmillan Publishers Aus., →ISBN, page 151

Verb

spray (third-person singular simple present sprays, present participle spraying, simple past and past participle sprayed)

(transitive) To project a liquid in a dispersive manner toward something.
- The firemen sprayed the house.
- Using a water cannon, the national guard sprayed the protesters.
(ergative) To project in a dispersive manner.
- Spray some ointment on that scratch.
- The water sprayed out of the hose.
(figuratively, transitive) To project many small items dispersively.
- The sprawl of sheds like Magna Parks 1 to 3 are a particularly vivid measure, because they host the final moment of relative stasis for millions of products that are then sprayed out to homes in every direction.2019 November 21, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped the world”, in The Guardian
- Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined. Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to...2013 June 14, Jonathan Freedland, “Obama's once hip brand is now tainted”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 18
(intransitive) To urinate in order to mark territory.
(transitive, computer security) To allocate blocks of memory from (a heap, etc.), and fill them with the same byte sequence, hoping to establish that sequence in a certain predetermined location as part of an exploit.
- to spray the heap of a target process
- This approach would be altered for an optimal omelette based exploit. One would spray the heap with the omelette code solely, then load a single copy of the additional shellcode eggs into memory outside the target region for the spray.2015, Herbert Bos, Fabian Monrose, Gregory Blanc, Research in Attacks, Intrusions, and Defenses: 18th International Symposium
(transitive) To pass (a ball), usually laterally across the field and often a long distance.
- Kevin McLeod sprayed the ball across from the left flank where a raging Ainsworth met it on the volley from 25 yards out, crashing the ball into the roof of the net.2012 February 1, Ash Rose, The QPR Miscellany, The History Press, →ISBN
- Yunus sprayed it to the wing where Ali was in some space.2013 August 11, Jamal Orme, The Victory Boys, Kube Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 13
(transitive, Australian rules football) To kick (a ball) poorly and in an unintended direction.
- Despite a goal to Vin Gardiner for Carlton, courtesy of an infringement, the Blues squandered many opportunities in attack. They sprayed the ball with their field kicking, and in their path toward goal.2011, Ashley Browne, Grand Finals: The Stories Behind the Premier Teams of the Victorian Football League. 1897-1938, Slattery Media Group, →ISBN, page 143
- But once again their forwards, including Sloss, sprayed the ball in front of goal and squandered their momentum by kicking a solitary goal and six careless behinds.2016 June 28, Nick Richardson, The Game of Their Lives, Macmillan Publishers Aus., →ISBN
(derogatory, slang) To give unwanted advice.
(Nigeria) To shower guests dancing at a function with money.
- “If a celebrator is dancing and you spray him/her, you may go to jail from the party venue because the law enforcement agents will be there, waiting to arrest you.2019, “Nigeria’s money-spraying culture: A national embarassment?^([sic])”, in Apa News, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2024
- Politicians have been known to spray crowds with cash. There is a cottage industry of vendors offering fresh banknotes to partygoers looking to spray their hosts.2025 May 31, Aanu Adeoye, “Nigeria cracks down on ‘spraying’ cash”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6

Noun (2)

spray (countable and uncountable, plural sprays)

(countable) A small branch of flowers or berries.
- The bridesmaid carried a spray of lily-of-the-valley.
- O Nightingale, that on yon bloomy ſpray / Warbleſt at eve, when all the woods are ſtill, / Thou with freſh hope the lover’s heart doſt fill, / While the jolly hours lead on propitious May.a. 1674, John Milton, “To the Nightingale”, in Paradise Regain’d, Birmingham: J. and R. Tonson and S. Draper, published 1752, page 506
Synonyms:

sprig
(countable) A collective body of small branches.
- The tree has a beautiful spray.
- A blisful flour, owt of this spray schal springe ; / The fruyt þer-of schal be ful precïous ; / A causë haue [we] for to ioye & synge, / In honure of þat maidë gracïous, / That gret comfort schal cause[n] vnto vs ; / ffor now schal faste oure company encrees, / And god with man schal makë smallë...a. 1426, Thomas Hoccleve, “The recordyng of aungeles song of the Natiuite of oure lady”, in Frederick James Furnivall, editor, Hoccleve's Works, volume III (in Middle English), London: Kegan Paul...
(uncountable) Branches and twigs collectively; foliage.
- Gret fur he made þer aniȝt of wode & of sprai.a. 1300, Robert of Gloucester, “Henricus”, in William Aldis Wright, editor, The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester (in Middle English), London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, published 1887, part I...
- Troubled, 'wilder'd, and forlorn, / Dark, benighted, travel-worn, / Over many a tangled spray, / All heart-broke I heard her say1789, William Blake, “A Dream”, in Songs of Innocence
(countable, obsolete) An orchard.
(countable) An ornament or design that resembles a branch.

spray meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

spray in Tamil

தெளிக்கப்படும் நீர், நீர்மம், வாசனைப் பொருள், பூச்சு, மருந்து முதலியவை, தெளிப்பு

spray in Marathi

फवारणी करा, फवारणी करण्यासाठी, फवारणी करायला

spray in Urdu

پھوار, شاخ

More languagesFewer languages

spray in Bengali: স্প্রে, ফিনকি, ঝাঁজরি, জলযন্ত্র
spray in Telugu: స్ప్రే, స్ప్రే చేయండి, పిచికారీ
spray in Malayalam: സ്പ്രേ ചെയ്യുക, സ്പ്രേ, സ്പ്രേ ചെയ്യാൻ
spray in Kannada: ಚಿಮ್ಮಲು, ಪಿಚಕಾರಿ, ದ್ರವ ತುಂಬುವ ಪಾತ್ರೆ, ಕೂದಾನಿ
spray in Punjabi: ਸਪਰੇਅ, ਸਪਰੇਅ ਕਰੋ, ਛਿਡ਼ਕਾਅ
spray in Gujarati: સ્પ્રે કરો, સ્પ્રે, છંટકાવ
spray in Odia: ସ୍ପ୍ରେ କରନ୍ତୁ, ସ୍ପ୍ରେ, ସ୍ପ୍ରେ କରିବା ପାଇଁ
spray in Assamese: সিঁচা xĩsa, ছটিওৱা sotiüa
spray in Nepali: स्प्रे गर्नुहोस्, स्प्रे, स्प्रे गर्न
spray in Malay: sembur, semperut
spray in Persian: اسپری esprey
spray in Thai: พ่น pôn
spray in Vietnamese: phun, xịt

Examples of spray in a sentence

He could give a bloody good spray, Bricey,' Cook says.2018, Paul Amy, Fabulous Fred: The Strife and Times of Fred Cook, Melbourne Books, →ISBN:
Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined.2013 June 14, Jonathan Freedland, “Obama's once hip brand is now tainted”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 18:
The painted Birds, Companions of the Spring, / Hopping from Spray to Spray, were heard to ſing ; / Both Eyes and Ears receiv’d a like Delight, / Enchanting Muſick, and a charming Sight.1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob...
And from the Trees did lop the needless Spray;c. 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, Book VII, Canto VII:

All 40 example sentences with spray

Synonyms of spray

Forms of spray

Noun
plural	sprays
Verb
third-person singular present	sprays
present participle	spraying
past participle	sprayed
past	sprayed

Past tense of spray: sprayed

Plural of spray: sprays

Origin of spray

From Middle Dutch sprāien, sprayen, spraeyen (“to spray, sprinkle, spread”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sprēwijaną (“to spray, sprinkle”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per- (“to sow, scatter”). Cognate with Middle High German spræjen, spræwen (“to squirt, spray, dust, splash, straw”), Danish dialectal språe (“to open up, burst forth”), Swedish dialectal språ (“to sprout, shoot forth, burst”), Norwegian dialectal spra, spræ (“to splash, splatter, spout, burst forth”), Dutch sproeien (“to spray, sprinkle”), German sprühen (“to spray, sparkle”).

From Middle English spray, from Old English *spræġ, sprei (found in place names such as that of Spreyton, England), of unknown origin. Compare English sprig (“shoot, twig”).

Words formed from spray

Phrases with spray

4 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with spray

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about spray

What does spray mean?: Spray means a fine, gentle, dispersed mist of liquid.
What is spray in Hindi?: Spray in Hindi is स्प्रे करें, छिड़काव करें. See Spray meaning in Hindi.
How do you use spray in a sentence?: He could give a bloody good spray, Bricey,' Cook says.
What part of speech is spray?: Spray can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce spray?: Spray is pronounced /spɹeɪ/.
What is the plural of spray?: The plural of spray is sprays.

Words near spray in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-spray.ogg.

Cite this entry: “spray.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/spray. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.