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:
“The guy with the dog, I guess he moved the pepper spray out of the way, and then the other ICE agent ran over,” Butler said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Several then entered, one spray painting an anarchist "A" symbol on an inside wall, before police intervened to disperse them.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
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
Rain and wind blasted in through the hole, and Natalie turned away from the spray.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Those halos can indicate sprays of regolith thrown outward by a fresh impact.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 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
A former electrical engineer who moved from his native Kentucky to take a defense job, Montgomery founded the company in 2023 with an eye toward getting pesticide sprays out of suburban yards.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Nonetheless, suggestions are heard here and there that these sterilizing chemicals might be applied as aerial sprays — for example, to coat the foliage chewed by gypsy moth larvae.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Scented cleaners release terpenes when fragrance compounds evaporate from sprayed droplets or cleaned surfaces.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
A woman sprayed each of us with rose essential oil to help with grounding.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
In Devon and Cornwall officers have also sprayed illegal riders and their bikes with SmartWater - a forensic marking product that contains a unique chemical code which becomes visible using ultraviolet light.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
My mom sprayed me silver, in my hair and everything.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Dr. Carroll sprayed something cool on Coal’s forearm.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
They include gas leaks, spraying substances to cover the smell of fumes and failing to properly maintain idle wells, among others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 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
The process involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt from aircraft to produce rainfall, but depends on clouds being present.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 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
It blasts away the ropes and the stake, spraying fiery splinters all over us and obliterating all thought, Noise, and sound.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
