splay Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun an outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger
verb spread open or apart
- He splayed his huge hands over the table
verb turn outward
rotate; turn out; spread out.
- These birds can splay out their toes
- ballet dancers can rotate their legs out by 90 degrees
verb move out of position
dislocate; slip; luxate.
- dislocate joints
- the artificial hip joint luxated and had to be put back surgically
adjective satellite turned outward in an ungainly manner
- splay knees

Abbrev. of display.

To display; to spread. Obs. "Our ensigns splayed." Gascoigne.
To dislocate, as a shoulder bone.
To spay; to castrate. Obs. or Prov. Eng.
To turn on one side; to render oblique; to slope or slant, as the side of a door, window, etc. Oxf. Gloss.

Displayed; spread out; turned outward; hence, flat; ungainly; as, splay shoulders.
Sonwthing splay, something blunt-edged, unhandy, and infelicitous. M. Arnold.

(Arch.) A slope or bevel, especially of the sides of a door or window, by which the opening is made larged at one face of the wall than at the other, or larger at each of the faces than it is between them.