The Wordsmith Dictionary

Sprawl (sprall ), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sprawled (spralld ); p. pr. & vb. n. Sprawling. ] Etym: [OE. spraulen; cf. Sw. sprattla to sprawl, dial. Sw. spralla, Dan. spælle, sprælde, 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.

2. To spread irregularly, as vines, plants, or tress; to spread ungracefully, as chirography.

3. To move, when lying down, with awkward extension and motions of the limbs; to scramble in creeping. The birds were not fledged; but upon sprawling and struggling to get clear of the flame, down they tumbled. L'Estrange.

SPRAWLS

SPRAWLS Sprawls, n. pl.

Defn: Small branches of a tree; twigs; sprays. [Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell.

New American Oxford Dictionary

sprawl

sprawl |sprôl sprɔl | ▶verb [ no obj. ] sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly or awkward way: the door shot open, sending him sprawling across the pavement | she lay sprawled on the bed. • spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way: the town sprawled along several miles of cliff top | (as adj. sprawling ) : the sprawling suburbs. ▶noun [ usu. in sing. ] an ungainly or carelessly relaxed position in which one's arms and legs are spread out: she fell into a sort of luxurious sprawl. • a group or mass of something that has spread out in an untidy or irregular way: a sprawl of buildings. • the expansion of an urban or industrial area into the adjoining countryside in a way perceived to be disorganized and unattractive: the growth of urban sprawl. DERIVATIVES sprawl ing ly adverb ORIGIN Old English spreawlian ‘move the limbs convulsively ’; related to Danish sprælle ‘kick or splash around. ’ The noun dates from the early 18th cent.

Oxford Dictionary

sprawl

sprawl |sprɔːl | ▶verb [ no obj., with adverbial ] sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly way: the door shot open, sending him sprawling across the pavement | she lay sprawled on the bed. • spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way: the town sprawled along several miles of cliff top | (as adj. sprawling ) : the sprawling suburbs. ▶noun [ usu. in sing. ] an ungainly or carelessly relaxed position in which one's arms and legs are spread out: she fell into a sort of luxurious sprawl. • a group or mass of something that has spread out in an untidy or irregular way: a sprawl of buildings. • [ mass noun ] the disorganized and unattractive expansion of an urban or industrial area into the adjoining countryside: the growth of urban sprawl. DERIVATIVES sprawlingly adverb ORIGIN Old English spreawlian ‘move the limbs convulsively ’; related to Danish sprælle ‘kick or splash about ’. The noun dates from the early 18th cent.

American Oxford Thesaurus

sprawl

sprawl verb 1 he sprawled on a sofa: stretch out, lounge, loll, lie, recline, drape oneself, slump, flop, slouch. 2 the town sprawled ahead of them: spread, stretch, extend, be strung out, be scattered, straggle, spill.

Oxford Thesaurus

sprawl

sprawl verb 1 he sprawled on a sofa in the living room: stretch out, lounge, loll, lie, lie down, lie back, recline, drape oneself, be recumbent, be prostrate, be supine, slump, flop, slouch. 2 gorse and hawthorn sprawled over the hillside: spread, stretch, straggle, ramble, trail, spill.

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

sprawl

sprawl /sprɔːl /動詞自動詞 1 «…に » (手足をだらりと伸ばして )座る, 横になる (out ) «on , in » ▸ He sprawled out in his chair .彼は手足をだらりと伸ばし座っていた 2 〈建物町並みが〉 (まとまりなく )広がる, 続く .s è nd A spr á wling A 〈人〉をなぐり倒す, のばす .名詞〖単数形で〗1 (建物の )まとまりのない広がり [街並 ], スプロール現象 .2 手足をだらりとした姿勢 .

sprawled

sprawled 形容詞〖be ～〗(手足をだらりと伸ばして )座っている, 横になっている (out ).

sprawling

spr á wl ing 形容詞むやみ [不規則 ]に広がった .