spray

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

spray, n. [Cf. Dan. sprag. See Sprig.].

•  A small shoot or branch; a twig.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

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

  "And from the trees did lop the needless spray."  [1913 Webster]
•  A side channel or branch of the runner of a flask, made to distribute the metal in all parts of the mold.  Knight.  [1913 Webster]

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

spray, n. [Probably from a Dutch or Low German form akin to E. spread. See Spread, v. t.].

•  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]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

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

spray, v. t. 

•  To let fall in the form of spray.  M. Arnold.  [1913 Webster]
•  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]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spray, n. & v.
--n.
1 water or other liquid flying in small drops from the force of the wind, the dashing of waves, or the action of an atomizer etc.
2 a liquid preparation to be applied in this form with an atomizer etc., esp. for medical purposes.
3 an instrument or apparatus for such application.
--v.tr. (also absol.)
1 throw (liquid) in the form of spray.
2 sprinkle (an object) with small drops or particles, esp. (a plant) with an insecticide.
3 (absol.) (of a tom-cat) mark its environment with the smell of its urine, as an attraction to females.

Idiom

spray-dry (-dries, -dried) dry (milk etc.) by spraying into hot air etc. spray-gun a gunlike device for spraying paint etc. spray-paint paint (a surface) by means of a spray.

Derivative

sprayable adj. sprayer n.

spray, n.
1 a sprig of flowers or leaves, or a branch of a tree with branchlets or flowers, esp. a slender or graceful one.
2 an ornament in a similar form (a spray of diamonds).

Derivative

sprayey adj.

Etymology

ME f. OE spr{aelig}g (unrecorded)

THESAURUS

spray

aerate, aerify, aerosol, antiaircraft barrage, appendage, arm, asperge, aspergil, aspergillum, atomize, atomizer, barrage, bedew, bespatter, besprinkle, bine, bough, boughpot, bouquet, boutonniere, bowshot, box barrage, branch, branchedness, branchiness, breakers, broadside, bullet, burgeon, burst, buttonhole, cannon, cannonade, cannonry, carbonate, censer, chaplet, chlorinate, clyster, collar, concentrate sprayer, corsage, creeping barrage, dabble, damp, dampen, dash, deadwood, detonation, dew, diffuse, discharge, disperse, distill, douche, drizzle, drumfire, ejection, emergency barrage, emit, enema, enfilade, etherify, etherize, evaporate, evaporator, exhale, festoon, flagellum, flower arrangement, fluidize, flush, foam, font, fork, fount, fountain, fountain syringe, fractionate, frond, froth, fume, fumigate, fumigator, fusillade, garland, gasify, geyser, give off, gun, gunfire, gunshot, gush, hand, head, hose, hose down, humect, humectate, humidify, hydrogenate, imp, incense burner, incensory, irrigate, jet, joint, lather, leg, lei, limb, link, lobe, lobule, member, meringue, mist, mist concentrate sprayer, moisten, mortar barrage, mousse, needle bath, normal barrage, nosegay, nozzle, odorator, odorizer, offscum, offshoot, organ, oxygenate, paddle, parfumoir, perfume, perfumer, pinion, plash, play, pomander, posy, potpourri, potshot, pouncet-box, puff, purse atomizer, ramage, ramification, reek, retort, runner, rush, sachet, salvo, sarment, scatter, scent bag, scent ball, scent bottle, scent box, scenter, scion, scud, scum, sea foam, send out, shoot, shot, shower, shower bath, shower head, slip, slobber, slop, slosh, smelling bottle, smoke, soapsuds, souffle, sparge, sparger, spatter, spear, spew, spindrift, spit, splash, splatter, sponge, spoondrift, spout, spouter, spray can, sprayer, spread, sprig, sprinkle, sprinkler, sprinkler head, sprinkling, sprinkling system, sprit, spritz, sprout, spume, spur, spurt, spurtle, squirt, standing barrage, steam, still, stinging, stolon, stoneshot, sublimate, sublime, sucker, suds, surf, surge, swash, switch, syringe, tail, tattoo, tendril, thallus, thurible, twig, vaporize, vaporizer, vinaigrette, volatilize, volley, vomit, vomit forth, vomit out, water, watercart, watering can, watering pot, well, wet, wet down, white water, wing, wreath

ROGET THESAURUS

spray

Part

N part, portion, dose, item, particular, aught, any, division, ward, subdivision, section, chapter, clause, count, paragraph, verse, article, passage, sector, segment, fraction, fragment, cantle, frustum, detachment, parcel, piece, lump, bit cut, cutting, chip, chunk, collop, slice, scale, lamina, small part, morsel, particle, installment, dividend, share, debris, odds and ends, oddments, detritus, excerpta, member, limb, lobe, lobule, arm, wing, scion, branch, bough, joint, link, offshoot, ramification, twig, bush, spray, sprig, runner, leaf, leaflet, stump, component part, sarmentum, compartment, department, county, fractional, fragmentary, sectional, aliquot, divided, in compartments, multifid, disconnected, partial, partly, in part, partially, piecemeal, part by part, by by installments, by snatches, by inches, by driblets, bit by bit, inch by inch, foot by foot, drop by drop, in detail, in lots.

Vaporization

N vaporization, volatilization, gasification, evaporation, vaporation, distillation, cupellation, cohobation, sublimination, exhalation, volatility, vaporizer, still, retort, fumigation, steaming, bay salt, chloride of sodium, mister, spray, bubble, effervescence, ', volatilized, reeking, volatile, evaporable, vaporizable, bubbly, effervescent, boiling, Specific Fluids.

River

N river, running water, jet, spirt, spurt, squirt, spout, spray, splash, rush, gush, jet d'eau, sluice, water spout, water fall, cascade, force, foss, lin, linn, ghyll, Niagara, cataract, rapids, white water, catadupe, cataclysm, debacle, inundation, deluge, chute, washout, rain, rainfall, serein, shower, scud, downpour, driving rain, drenching rain, cloudburst, hyetology, hyetography, predominance of Aquarius, reign of St. Swithin, mizzle, drizzle, stillicidum, plash, dropping, falling weather, northeaster, hurricane, typhoon, stream, course, flux, flow, profluence, effluence, defluxion, flowing, current, tide, race, coulee, spring, artesian well, fount, fountain, rill, rivulet, gill, gullet, rillet, streamlet, brooklet, branch, runnel, sike, burn, beck, creek, brook, bayou, stream, river, reach, tributary, geyser, spout, waterspout, body of water, torrent, rapids, flush, flood, swash, spring tide, high tide, full tide, bore, tidal bore, eagre, hygre, fresh, freshet, indraught, reflux, undercurrent, eddy, vortex, gurge, whirlpool, Maelstrom, regurgitation, overflow, confluence, corrivation, wave, billow, surge, swell, ripple, anerythmon gelasma, beach comber, riffle, rollers, ground swell, surf, breakers, white horses, whitecaps, rough sea, heavy sea, high seas, cross sea, long sea, short sea, chopping sea, hydrodynamics, hydraulics, hydraulicostatics, rain gauge, flowmeter, pegology, irrigation, pump, watering pot, watering cart, hydrant, syringe, garden hose, lawn spray, bhisti, mussuk, fluent, diffluent, profluent, affluent, tidal, flowing, meandering, meandry, meandrous, fluvial, fluviatile, streamy, showery, rainy, pluvial, stillicidous, stillatitious, for men may come and men may go but I go on foreve, that old man river, he just keeps rolling along.

VB flow, run, meander, gush, pour, spout, roll, jet, well, issue, drop, drip, dribble, plash, spirtle, trill, trickle, distill, percolate, stream, overflow, inundate, deluge, flow over, splash, swash, guggle, murmur, babble, bubble, purl, gurgle, sputter, spurt, spray, regurgitate, ooze, flow out, rain hard, rain in torrents, rain cats and dogs, rain pitchforks, pour with rain, drizzle, spit, set in, mizzle, flow into, fall into, open into, drain into, discharge itself, disembogue, pour, pour out, shower down, irrigate, drench, spill, splash, stanch, dam, up, obstruct.

Bubble

N bubble; cloud, bubble, foam, froth, head, spume, lather, suds, spray, surf, yeast, barm, spindrift, cloud, vapor, fog, mist, haze, steam, geyser, scud, messenger, rack, nimbus, cumulus, woolpack, cirrus, stratus, cirrostratus, cumulostratus, cirrocumulus, mackerel sky, mare's tale, dirty sky, curl cloud, frost smoke, thunderhead, nephelognosy, nephograph, nephology, effervescence, fermentation, bubbling, nebula, cloudliness, nebulosity, bubbling, frothy, nappy, effervescent, sparkling, mousseux, frothy, up, cloudy, thunderheaded, vaporous, nebulous, overcast, the lowring element scowls o'er the darkened lands.

Vegetable

N vegetable, vegetable kingdom, flora, verdure, plant, tree, shrub, bush, creeper, herb, herbage, grass, annual, perennial, biennial, triennial, exotic, timber, forest, wood, woodlands, timberland, hurst, frith, holt, weald, park, chase, greenwood, brake, grove, copse, coppice, bocage, tope, clump of trees, thicket, spinet, spinney, underwood, brushwood, scrub, boscage, bosk, ceja, chaparal, motte, arboretum, bush, jungle, prairie, heath, heather, fern, bracken, furze, gorse, whin, grass, turf, pasture, pasturage, turbary, sedge, rush, weed, fungus, mushroom, toadstool, lichen, moss, conferva, mold, growth, alfalfa, alfilaria, banyan, blow, blowth, floret, petiole, pin grass, timothy, yam, yew, zinnia, foliage, branch, bough, ramage, stem, tigella, spray, leaf, flower, blossom, bine, flowering plant, timber tree, fruit tree, pulse, legume, vegetable, vegetal, vegetive, vegitous, herbaceous, herbal, botanic, sylvan, silvan, arborary, arboreous, arborescent, arborical, woody, grassy, verdant, verdurous, floral, mossy, lignous, ligneous, wooden, leguminous, vosky, cespitose, turf-like, turfy, endogenous, exogenous, green-robed senators of mighty woods, this is the forest primeval.