%spra%

a. Blamable. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dispraised p. pr. & vb. n. Dispraising. ] [ OE. dispreisen, OF. desprisier, despreisier, F. dépriser; pref. des- (L. dis-) + prisier, F. priser, to prize, praise. See Praise, and cf. Disprize, Depreciate. ] To withdraw praise from; to notice with disapprobation or some degree of censure; to disparage; to blame. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dispraising the power of his adversaries. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

I dispraised him before the wicked, that the wicked might not fall in love with him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. despris. See Dispraise, v. t. ] The act of dispraising; detraction; blame censure; reproach; disparagement. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

In praise and in dispraise the same. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who blames or dispraises. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By way of dispraise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Wrong practice. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To praise amiss. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Through OF. fr. L. ossifraga (orig., the bone breaker); prob. influenced by oripelargus (mountain stork, a kind of eagle, Gr. &unr_;); cf. OF. orpres, and F. orfraie. See Ossifrage. ] (Zool.) The fishhawk (Pandion haliaetus). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. Icel. spraekr sprightly, dial. Sw. spräk, spräg, spirited, mettlesome; or Gael. spraic vigor. ] Quick; lively; alert. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. p. p. of Spread. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. imp. of Spread. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Icel. spraka a small flounder. ] (Zool.) A young salmon. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Spray a branch. ] A billet of wood; a piece of timber used as a prop. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Sprack, a. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Spragged p. pr. & vb. n. Spragging ] 1. To check the motion of, as a carriage on a steep grade, by putting a sprag between the spokes of the wheel. R. S. Poole. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To prop or sustain with a sprag. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Sprained p. pr. & vb. n. Spraining. ] [ OF. espreindreto press, to force out, F. épreindre, fr. L. exprimere. See Express, v. t., and cf. Spraints. ] To weaken, as a joint, ligament, or muscle, by sudden and excessive exertion, as by wrenching; to overstrain, or stretch injuriously, but without luxation; as, to sprain one's ankle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or result of spraining; lameness caused by spraining; as, a bad sprain of the wrist. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sprain fracture (Med.), the separation of a tendon from its point of insertion, with the detachment of a shell of bone to which the tendon is attached. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ OF. espraintes, espreintes, F. épreintes, from espreinte a desire to go to stool, from espreindre. See Sprain, v. t. ] The dung of an otter. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. of Spring. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. sprot, sprotte, D. sprot; akin to G. sprotte. ] (Zool.) (a) A small European herring (Clupea sprattus) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; -- called also garvie. The name is also applied to small herring of different kinds. (b) A California surf-fish (Rhacochilus toxotes); -- called also alfione, and perch. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sprat borer (Zool.), the red-throated diver; -- so called from its fondness for sprats. See Diver. --
Sprat loon. (Zool.) (a) The young of the great northern diver. [ Prov. Eng. ] (b) The red-throated diver. See Diver. --
Sprat mew (Zool.), the kittiwake gull. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Sprawled p. pr. & vb. n. Sprawling. ] [ OE. spraulen; cf. Sw. sprattla to sprawl, dial. Sw. spralla, Dan. spraelle, spraelde, D. spartelen, spertelen, to flounder, to struggle. ] 1. To spread and stretch the body or limbs carelessly in a horizontal position; to lie with the limbs stretched out ungracefully. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To spread irregularly, as vines, plants, or trees; to spread ungracefully, as chirography. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To move, when lying down, with awkward extension and motions of the limbs; to scramble in creeping. [ 1913 Webster ]

The birds were not fledged; but upon sprawling and struggling to get clear of the flame, down they tumbled. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The position or state resulting from sprawling; as, he sat on the couch in a sprawl; uncontrolled urban sprawl. [ PJC ]

n. pl. Small branches of a tree; twigs; sprays. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Dan. sprag. See Sprig. ] 1. A small shoot or branch; a twig. Chaucer.
Syn. -- sprig. [ 1913 Webster ]

The painted birds, companions of the spring,
Hopping from spray to spray, were heard to sing. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A collective body of small branches, or cut flowers with long stems; as, the tree has a beautiful spray; many sprays were sent in condolence to teh funeral home. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

And from the trees did lop the needless spray. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Founding) (a) A side channel or branch of the runner of a flask, made to distribute the metal in all parts of the mold. (b) A group of castings made in the same mold and connected by sprues formed in the runner and its branches. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spray drain (Agric.), a drain made by laying under earth the sprays or small branches of trees, which keep passages open. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Probably from a Dutch or Low German form akin to E. spread. See Spread, v. t. ] 1. Water flying in small drops or particles, as by the force of wind, or the dashing of waves, or from a waterfall, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) (a) A jet of fine medicated vapor, used either as an application to a diseased part or to charge the air of a room with a disinfectant or a deodorizer. (b) An instrument for applying such a spray; an atomizer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spray condenser (Steam Engine), an injection condenser in which the steam is condensed by a spray of water which mingles with it. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To let fall in the form of spray. [ Poetic ] M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To throw spray upon; to treat with a liquid in the form of spray; as, to spray a wound, or a surgical instrument, with carbolic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Naut.) See Dashboard, n., 2 (b). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A screen raised above any part of the gunwale of a boat to keep out spray. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a small can containing a liquid under pressure of a gas that forces the liquid out in an aerosol form when the valve is opened. [ PJC ]

n. One that sprays; any instrument for vaporizing and spraying liquids. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a container for liquid, fitted with a conduit that can be supplied with compressed air, desiged to allowing the contents to be sprayed as an aerosol. Such devices are used to spray paints and various other liquids. [ PJC ]

n. paint packaged in a spray can. [ PJC ]