sprawl

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• COUNT in NET: 3 in 3 verses (in OT : 3 in 3 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

sprawl, v. i. [OE. spraulen; cf. Sw. sprattla to sprawl, dial. Sw. spralla, Dan. sprælle, sprælde, D. spartelen, spertelen, to flounder, to struggle.].

•  To spread and stretch the body or limbs carelessly in a horizontal position; to lie with the limbs stretched out ungracefully.  [1913 Webster]
•  To spread irregularly, as vines, plants, or trees; to spread ungracefully, as chirography.  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]

sprawl, n. 

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

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sprawl, v. & n.
--v.
1 a intr. sit or lie or fall with limbs flung out or in an ungainly way. b tr. spread (one's limbs) in this way.
2 intr. (of handwriting, a plant, a town, etc.) be of irregular or straggling form.
--n.
1 a sprawling movement or attitude.
2 a straggling group or mass.
3 the straggling expansion of an urban or industrial area.

Derivative

sprawlingly adv.

Etymology

OE spreawlian

THESAURUS

sprawl

accubation, accumbency, be lengthy, be prolonged, bed, bed down, belong, branch, branch out, capsize, careen, come a cropper, couch, crane, crawl, cropper, culbute, curl up, decumbency, deploy, disperse, dive, drape, expand, expansion, extend, extend out, extension, fall, fall down, fall flat, fall headlong, fall over, fall prostrate, fan, fan out, flare, flop, flounder, forced landing, get a cropper, go to bed, go to rest, grovel, header, lay, lie, lie around, lie down, lie flat, lie limply, lie prone, lie prostrate, list, loll, lounge, lounging, lurch, lying, meander, open, open up, outreach, outspread, outstretch, overgrow, overrun, pitch, plunge, pratfall, proneness, prostration, ramble, ramify, reach out, reclination, recline, reclining, recumbency, repose, rest, scramble, settle to rest, slouch, slump, snug down, spill, splay, spraddle, sprangle, spread, spread like wildfire, spread out, spread-eagle, stagger, stand on tiptoes, straddle, straggle, stretch, stretch out, stumble, supineness, take a fall, take a flop, take a header, take a pratfall, take a spill, take it easy, take life easy, tilt, topple, topple down, topple over, totter, trip, tumble, turn turtle, unfold, wander, widen

ROGET THESAURUS

sprawl

Length

VB be long, stretch out, sprawl, extend to, reach to, stretch to, make a long arm, drag its slow length along, render long, lengthen, extend, elongate, stretch, prolong, produce, protract, let out, draw out, spin out, drawl, enfilade, look along, view in perspective, distend (expand).

Horizontality

VB be horizontal, lie, recline, couch, lie down, lie flat, lie prostrate, sprawl, loll, sit down, render horizontal, lay down, lay out, level, flatten, prostrate, knock down, floor, fell.

Descent

VB descend, go down, drop down, come down, fall, gravitate, drop, slip, slide, rappel, settle, plunge, plummet, crash, decline, set, sink, droop, come down a peg, slump, dismount, alight, light, get down, swoop, stoop, fall prostrate, precipitate oneself, let fall, tumble, trip, stumble, titubate, lurch, pitch, swag, topple, topple over, tumble over, topple down, tumble down, tilt, sprawl, plump down, come down a cropper.