sprawl
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sprawl
(sprôl)v. sprawled, sprawl·ing, sprawls
v.intr.
1. To sit or lie with the body and limbs spread out awkwardly.
2. To spread out in a straggling or disordered fashion: untidy tenements sprawling toward the river.
v.tr.
To cause to spread out in a straggling or disordered fashion.
n.
1. A sprawling position or posture.
2. A usually disorderly or haphazard mass, array, or extension: a sprawl of outbuildings; urban sprawl.
[Middle English sprawlen, from Old English sprēawlian, to writhe; see sper- in Indo-European roots.]
sprawl′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sprawl
(sprɔːl)vb
1. (intr) to sit or lie in an ungainly manner with one's limbs spread out
2. to fall down or knock down with the limbs spread out in an ungainly way
3. to spread out or cause to spread out in a straggling fashion: his handwriting sprawled all over the paper.
n
4. the act or an instance of sprawling
5. a sprawling posture or arrangement of items
6. (Human Geography)
a. the urban area formed by the expansion of a town or city into surrounding countryside: the urban sprawl.
b. the process by which this has happened
[Old English spreawlian; related to Old English spryttan to sprout, spurt, Greek speirein to scatter]
ˈsprawler n
ˈsprawly adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sprawl
(sprɔl)v.i.
1. to be spread out awkwardly.
2. to sit or lie with limbs spread out.
3. to spread out or be distributed irregularly.
4. to crawl or scramble awkwardly.
v.t. 5. to stretch out (the limbs) as in sprawling.
6. to spread out or distribute irregularly.
n. 7. an act or instance of sprawling.
[before 1000; Middle English spraulen to move awkwardly, Old English spreawlian, akin to Frisian (N dial.) spraweli]
sprawl′y, adj. sprawl•i•er, sprawl•i•est.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
sprawl
Past participle: sprawled
Gerund: sprawling
| Imperative |
|---|
| sprawl |
| sprawl |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  sprawl - an aggregation or continuous network of urban communitiessubtopia - monotonous urban sprawl of standardized buildings populated area, urban area - a geographical area constituting a city or town |
| 2. |  sprawl - an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about | |
| Verb | 1. | sprawl - sit or lie with one's limbs spread out spread-eagle - stand with arms and legs spread out lie - be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position; "The sick man lay in bed all day"; "the books are lying on the shelf" |
| 2. | sprawl - go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way; "Branches straggling out quite far" spread, distribute - distribute or disperse widely; "The invaders spread their language all over the country" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sprawl
verb loll, slump, lounge, flop, lie down, slouch, recline, drape yourself She sprawled on the bed, not even moving to cover herself up.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sprawl
verb1. To sit or lie with the limbs spread out awkwardly:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إمتِدادتَمَدُّد، إنْبِطاحيَسْتَلْقييَمْتَد بِغَيْر نِظام
rozlehlé bludištěrozlézat serozvalenírozvalovat se
henslængt stillingligge henslængtuoverskuelighed
leviäminenlevitärehottaaretkottaaretkotus
elterpeszkedikterpeszkedésterpeszkedik
breiîa óreglulega úr sérflatmaga, breiîa úr sérfrumskóguròaî aî breiîa úr sér
išsidrėbimasišsidrėbtiišsimėtytinusidriekęs
izlaistiesizplestieslabirintsšķērsielasvaļīga/nevērīga poza
rozľahlé bludiskorozliezať sarozvalenierozvaľovať sa
düzensiz bölgedüzensiz şekilde yayılmakyayılıp oturmakyayılma
sprawl
[sprɔːl]A. VI
1. [person] (= sit down, lie down) → tumbarse, echarse; (untidily) → despatarrarse; (= fall down) → derrumbarse
the body was sprawled on the floor → el cadáver estaba tumbado en el suelo
he was sprawled or sprawling in a chair → estaba tumbado de modo poco elegante en un sillón
to send sb sprawling (with a blow) → derribar a algn por el suelo
the jolt sent him sprawling → la sacudida le hizo ir rodando por el suelo
the body was sprawled on the floor → el cadáver estaba tumbado en el suelo
he was sprawled or sprawling in a chair → estaba tumbado de modo poco elegante en un sillón
to send sb sprawling (with a blow) → derribar a algn por el suelo
the jolt sent him sprawling → la sacudida le hizo ir rodando por el suelo
2. [plant, town] → extenderse
B. N
1. [of body] → postura f desgarbada
2. [of town etc] → extensión f
an endless sprawl of suburbs → una interminable extensión de barrios exteriores
urban sprawl → crecimiento m urbano descontrolado
an endless sprawl of suburbs → una interminable extensión de barrios exteriores
urban sprawl → crecimiento m urbano descontrolado
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sprawl
[ˈsprɔːl]Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
sprawl
n (= posture) → Lümmeln nt no pl (inf), → Flegeln nt no pl (inf); (= mass: of buildings, town etc) → Ausbreitung f; urban sprawl → wild wuchernde Ausbreitung des Stadtgebietes; in the urban sprawl → in der riesigen Stadtlandschaft
vi (person, = fall) → der Länge nach hinfallen; (= lounge) → (herum)lümmeln (inf), → sich hinflegeln; (plant, town) → (wild) wuchern; he was sprawling (out) on the floor → er lag ausgestreckt auf dem Fußboden; she was sprawling in a chair → sie hatte sich in einem Sessel breitgemacht; to send somebody sprawling → jdn zu Boden werfen, jdn der Länge nach umwerfen
vt to be sprawled over something/on something (body) → ausgestreckt auf etw (dat) → liegen; his legs were sprawled over the arm of the chair → seine Beine hingen zwanglos über der Sessellehne
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
sprawl
[sprɔːl]1. vi (person, sit, lie) → stravaccarsi; (fall) → cadere scompostamente; (town) → estendersi in modo incontrollato; (plant) → crescere disordinatamente
her handwriting sprawled all over the page → la sua scrittura copriva tutta la pagina
to send sb sprawling → mandare qn a gambe all'aria
her handwriting sprawled all over the page → la sua scrittura copriva tutta la pagina
to send sb sprawling → mandare qn a gambe all'aria
2. n urban sprawl → sviluppo urbanistico incontrollato, espansione urbana tentacolare
a sprawl of buildings lay below them → un gruppo di edifici si estendeva disordinatamente dinanzi ai loro occhi
a sprawl of buildings lay below them → un gruppo di edifici si estendeva disordinatamente dinanzi ai loro occhi
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
sprawl
(sproːl) verb1. to sit, lie or fall with the arms and legs spread out widely and carelessly. Several tired-looking people were sprawling in armchairs.
2. (of a town etc) to spread out in an untidy and irregular way.
noun1. an act of sprawling. He was lying in a careless sprawl on the sofa.
2. an untidy and irregular area (of houses etc). She lost her way in the grimy sprawl of the big city.
ˈsprawling adjectivethe huge, sprawling city of Los Angeles.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.