spay

¹

[ spey ]

verb (used with object)

, Veterinary Medicine.

1. to remove the ovaries of (an animal).

spay

²

[ spey ]

noun

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

spay

/ speɪ /

verb

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

Other Words From

• un·spayed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spay¹

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

Origin of spay²

1375–1425; late Middle English < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of spay¹

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

Example Sentences

Fewer animals are born each year, thanks to broader spay and neuter programs, often dictated by law, and improved surgical techniques.

From Time

Around the same time, in the late 2000s, veterinarians launched a concerted effort to spay and neuter more dogs and cats.

From Time

Many people with companion animals in their homes do disagree about issues such as spaying and neutering policies, euthanasia or pet food.

From No Straight News

A few years ago, Woods organized volunteer pilots to pick up feral cats from the island to be spayed and neutered.

From Washington Post

Other shelters have had long-standing overcrowding issues because their states don’t have strong campaigns that encourage pet owners to spay and neuter their animals.

From Washington Post

She says the Humane Society would like to enforce spay and neuter laws to the point where there would be no purebred dogs left.

From The Daily Beast

In a land where resources are scarce, and spay-neuter initiatives are only starting to make inroads, this is not surprising.

From The Daily Beast

In the course of time, they drank four-and-twenty, when Spay said to the other, "Now we'll go."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• castrate
• neuter