sprawl


Concise Oxford English Dictionary
sprawl
■ verb
sit, lie, or fall with one’s limbs spread out in an ungainly way.
spread out irregularly over a large area.
■ noun
a sprawling position or movement.
a sprawling group or mass. ▶the disorganized expansion of an urban or industrial area into the adjoining countryside.

sprawling noun & adjective
sprawlingly adverb

OE spreawlian ‘move the limbs convulsively’.

Concise Oxford Thesaurus
sprawl
▶ verb
he sprawled on a sofa: STRETCH OUT, lounge, loll, lie, recline, drape oneself, slump, flop, slouch.
the town sprawled ahead of them: SPREAD, stretch, extend, be strung out, be scattered, straggle, spill.

Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Dictionary
1sprawl
Pronunciation: ‘sprȯl
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sprēawlian
Date: before 12th century

intransitive verb
1 a archaic : to lie thrashing or tossing about b : to creep or clamber awkwardly
2 : to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
3 : to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
transitive verb : to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly
2sprawl
Function: noun
Date: 1598

1 : the act, posture, or condition of sprawling
2 : an irregularly spread or scattered group or mass
3 : URBAN SPRAWL
urban sprawl
Function: noun
Date: 1956

: the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city

sprawl was last modified: September 4th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic

Leave a Reply