spay

1
[ spey ]
See synonyms for spay on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)Veterinary Medicine.
  1. to remove the ovaries of (an animal).

Origin of spay

1
1375–1425; late Middle English spayen<Anglo-French espeïer to cut with a sword (Old French espeer), derivative of espee sword; see épée

Other words from spay

  • un·spayed, adjective

Words that may be confused with spay

Words Nearby spay

Other definitions for spay (2 of 2)

spay2
[ spey ]

noun
  1. a three-year-old male red deer.

Origin of spay

2
1375–1425; late Middle English &lt; ?
  • Also called spay·ad [spey-uhd], /ˈspeɪ əd/, spay·ard [spey-erd]. /ˈspeɪ ərd/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spay

spay

/ (speɪ) /


verb
  1. (tr) to remove the ovaries, and usually the uterus, from (a female animal)

Origin of spay

1
C15: from Old French espeer to cut with the sword, from espee sword, from Latin spatha

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