Splay
/spleɪ/noun
To spread out or turn outward; also, spread awkwardly or unevenly.
Did you know?The verb is related to an old French form meaning “to split or display,” and its history shows how a simple word for spreading can drift into describing awkward, outward-turned limbs and surfaces.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*splē-
“to split, separate, or spread apart”
Latin
Latin
explānāre
“to make level, make plain, explain”
Old French
Old French
espleier
“to spread out, unfold, display”
Middle English
English
splayen
“to spread out awkwardly or obliquely”
Modern English
English
splay
“to spread out or turn outward”