English Explanatory Dictionary

sprawl

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To sit with the limbs spread out.
  2. To spread out in a disorderly fashion; to straggle.
  3. To scoot the legs backwards, so as to land on the upper back of an opponent attempting a takedown.
noun
  1. An ungainly sprawling posture.
  2. A straggling, haphazard growth, especially of housing on the edge of a city.
  3. A defensive technique that is done in response to certain takedown attempts, where one scoots the legs backwards so as to land on the upper back of the opponent.

Pronunciation

/spɹɔːl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-sprawl.wav /spɹɔl/ /spɹɑl/ /spɹoːl/

Word forms

sprawl sprawls sprawling sprawled

Etymology

From Middle English spraulen, from Old English spreawlian (“move convulsively”), ultimately through a Proto-Germanic form cognate with *spreutaną (“to sprout”) from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to strew”). Compare North Frisian spraweli, Norwegian sprala, Swedish sprala.

Synonyms

splay

Related words

Los Angelization

Derived words

antisprawl asprawl spraddle sprawler sprawliness sprawling sprawlingness sprawly suburban sprawl urban sprawl

Translations

Bulgarian: разпръсквам се Czech: roztahovat se Czech: táhnout se Czech: prostírat se Dutch: verspreiden Dutch: zich uitstrekken Finnish: rehottaa Finnish: levitä French: s'étaler, s'étendre Galician: escarranchar German: sich ausbreiten Māori: pūkoni Portuguese: espalhar Russian: раски́дываться Russian: раски́нуться Russian: простира́ться Russian: простере́ться Russian: растя́гиваться Russian: растяну́ться Spanish: desparramarse Ukrainian: розкидатися Ukrainian: розпростертися Ukrainian: розтягтися
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