spray
1 Americannoun
-
water or other liquid broken up into minute droplets and blown, ejected into, or falling through the air.
-
a jet of fine particles of liquid, as medicine, insecticide, paint, perfume, etc., discharged from an atomizer or other device for direct application to a surface.
-
a liquid to be discharged or applied in such a jet.
-
an apparatus or device for discharging such a liquid.
-
a quantity of small objects, flying or discharged through the air.
a spray of shattered glass.
verb (used with object)
-
sprays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sprayed,
past participle, past
-
spraying
present participle
-
to scatter in the form of fine particles.
-
to apply as a spray.
to spray an insecticide on plants.
-
to sprinkle or treat with a spray.
to spray plants with insecticide.
-
to direct a spray of particles, missiles, etc., upon.
to spray the mob with tear gas.
verb (used without object)
-
sprays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sprayed,
past participle, past
-
spraying
present participle
-
to scatter spray; discharge a spray.
The hose sprayed over the flowers.
-
to issue as spray.
The water sprayed from the hose.
noun
-
a single, slender shoot, twig, or branch with its leaves, flowers, or berries.
-
a group or bunch of cut flowers, leafy twigs, etc., arranged decoratively and for display, as in a vase.
-
an ornament having a similar form.
noun
-
fine particles of a liquid
-
-
a liquid, such as perfume, paint, etc, designed to be discharged from an aerosol or atomizer
hair spray
-
the aerosol or atomizer itself
-
-
a quantity of small objects flying through the air
a spray of bullets
verb
-
to scatter (liquid) in the form of fine particles
-
to discharge (a liquid) from an aerosol or atomizer
-
(tr) to treat or bombard with a spray
to spray the lawn
noun
-
a single slender shoot, twig, or branch that bears buds, leaves, flowers, or berries, either growing on or detached from a plant
-
a small decorative bouquet or corsage of flowers and foliage
-
a piece of jewellery designed to resemble a spray of flowers, leaves, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
sprayabilitynoun
-
sprayernoun
-
sprayableadjective
-
spraylessadjective
-
spraylikeadjective
-
unsprayableadjective
-
unsprayedadjective
-
well-sprayedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
spraysimple
-
sprayssimple
-
have sprayedperfect
-
has sprayedperfect
-
am sprayingprogressive
-
are sprayingprogressive
-
is sprayingprogressive
-
have been sprayingperfect progressive
-
has been sprayingperfect progressive
Past
-
sprayedsimple
-
had sprayedperfect
-
was sprayingprogressive
-
were sprayingprogressive
-
had been sprayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spray1
First recorded in 1520–30; from earlier Dutch spraeyen; cognate with Middle High German spræjen
Origin of spray2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sprai(e); of uncertain origin; perhaps akin to sprag 1 or sprig ( def. )
Explanation
A spray is a jet of small drops of water or liquid vapor. It describes the medicine you use to make your nose less dry or the air freshener you use to make your bathroom less smelly. Though spray has had several incarnations, it is helpful to remember the German root sprühen — “to sparkle” or “to drizzle.” Spray has more than one sense, and can be a verb or a noun: If a whale were to spray you with water, you would be covered in spray. The word can also describe a group of small objects or pieces sent in the air, as in the spray of broken glass caused by your foul ball hitting a window.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On top of this, the tech is also helping candidates write multiple applications at the same time - something known in the industry as "spray and pray".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Supermarket staples like cleaning spray aren’t usually impulse buys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The primary suite serves as its own private retreat and features an en suite bathroom with a soaking tub, double sinks, and a full-body spray shower.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Every robot that faceplanted, lost a limb, or disintegrated in a spray of sparks was borne away on a stretcher by human attendants with deadpan solicitude.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
The breeze gusted and salt spray blew in her face.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
To examine what happens under realistic conditions, the researchers tested scented conventional liquid products as well as botanical-containing disinfectant sprays and wipes inside a model home on Purdue's campus.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
As the sprayer drives through a field, it intermittently sprays the weeds while passing over the crops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Buying candles, diffusers and room sprays "can help create a warm, cosy atmosphere, especially as we move into the colder months".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
A Labrador sprays his friends with water soaked into his fur from the bone-shaped pool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Thick-skinned banana clumps, pungent sprays of jasmine, black-seeded papayas, and delicate pods of vanilla all astonished her.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
A bunch of Bahraini-related activities are being held at the track, while the trophy presented will be the Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater rather than champagne will be sprayed on the podium.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Scented cleaners release terpenes when fragrance compounds evaporate from sprayed droplets or cleaned surfaces.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
A reporter reviewed copies of safety notices required by federal law that detail the hazardous chemicals that were mixed into the pesticide load that sprayed Lopez.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
A woman sprayed each of us with rose essential oil to help with grounding.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
The built-up steam sprayed bits of rotten shark, seaweed, and Nim-didn’t-know-what in a rushing geyser far into the air.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
A third firefighter was injured by what he said felt like an electric shock while he was on an aerial ladder spraying water onto the building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Routine tasks such as mopping floors, spraying countertops, and wiping surfaces with scented products generate billions or trillions of particles, with the total depending on the product.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
At one training company visited by AFP, humans holding what looked like PlayStation controllers repeated a single task -- folding clothes, moving blocks, spraying a canister -- as humanoid partners mirrored their actions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
In Barcelona—which last year received nine times as many tourists as it has residents—protesters took to spraying water on tourists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Javaneh sneezed twice—she always sneezed twice after spraying Dr Pepper out of her nose—and wiped her face with one of the cafeteria-issue brown paper towels.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
