▪ I. splay, n.
(spleɪ)
Also 6–7 pl. splaies; 6 spleigh.
[f. splay v.1]
1. a. Arch. ‘A return of work deviating from a right angle, generally applied to the bevelled jambs of windows and doors’ (Loudon).
| 1507–8 in Gage Hist. Suffolk: Thingoe (1838) 147 Plasteryng the beystales and the splaies. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1545/2 This sluse was composed with two arches, in length sixtie foot (besides the splaies). 1604 in Willis & Clark Cambr. (1886) II. 492 For altering certenne pannelles of his worke for the splaies of y⊇ greate wyndoes. 1708 Phil. Trans. XXVI. 37 Part of the Copeing of the Splay of the Gabel-end it self was broken down. 1725 W. Halfpenny Sound Building 13 How to find the inward Edge AFB, so that it shall diminish gradually from nothing at the Crown F, to the Splay of the Jaums at the Springing AC and DB. 1833 Loudon Encycl. Archit. §849 To cut all the rakes and splays, and all the chasings required for the lead flashings. 1855 W. Cory Lett. & Jrnls. (1897) 65, I would carve the name of a man on each stone in the splays and lintels. 1876 T. Hardy Ethelberta xxxviii, The day⁓light..scarcely reached further into Lord Mountclere's entrance-hall than to the splays of the windows. |
| attrib. 1669 in Willis & Clark Cambr. (1886) II. 558 There shalbe sufficient vpright iron barrs in all the lights of all the lower windowes,..to be sufficient iron splay barrs. |
b. The degree of bevel or slant given to the sides of an opening, etc.
| 1860 W. L. Collins Luck of Ladysmede (1862) I. 95 The bold splay of the window-sides, contrived so as to throw as much light as possible within. 1893 Reliquary Jan. 13 The inner head stones are by far the larger, as the splay is considerable. |
c. The outward spread of a bowl or cup.
| 1874 H. H. Cole Catal. Ind. Art S. Kens. Mus. 138 The bowl has a good splay and a curved rim. |
d. A tapered widening of the carriageway at a road intersection or corner provided in order to increase visibility for motorists.
| 1956 Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers V. ii. 356 The splay provided in the boundary line of the minor road approaching the intersection should remove any possible restriction on vision at the point where the vehicle turning right-in has to cross the right-out stream from the minor road. 1963 W. F. Cassie in E. Davies Traffic Engin. Practice x. 280 A minor road intersecting a major road. There are three possibilities..: (a) right-angled intersection; (b) right-hand splay; and (c) left-hand splay. 1968 J. L. Paisley in Ibid. (ed. 2) iv. 99 At uncontrolled junctions visibility splays should be provided to give full visibility to right and left. 1977 Cornish Times 19 Aug. 5/2 The Cornwall Surveyor..offered no objections subject to the formation of a suitable access with visibility splays of 30 by 500 feet in each direction along the adjoining highway. |
† 2. A spread or expanse of boughs. Obs.
| 1594 O. B. Quest. Prof. Concern. 7 b, You have spoken so darkely, that for the thick spleigh of boughes and broad leaues of this tree, I cannot discerne your meaning. |
▪ II. splay, adv. and a.
[f. prec., or after splay-foot, -footed.]
A. adv.
1. a. = splay-foot 3. b. In an oblique manner; slantingly. Also ellipt. cut splay, bricks cut with a slope or slant.
| a 1734 North Lives (1826) I. 144 He walked splay, stooping and noddling. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 554 The sloping of the bricks thus, is called cut splay. Plain tile creasing and cut splay are charged by the foot run. |
B. adj.
1. Oblique; awry; off the straight.
| 1876 M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma Pref. p. xxv, In the German mind, as in the German language, there does seem to be something splay. 1895 R. L. Stevenson Amateur Emigrant 38 We had a fellow on board, an Irish-American, for all the world like a beggar in a print by Callot; one-eyed, with great, splay crow's-feet round the sockets. 1952 Dylan Thomas Coll. Poems p. viii, Though song Is a burning and crested act, The fire of birds in The world's turning wood, For my sawn, splay sounds. |
2. Comb., as splay-kneed, splay-toed. splay fault Geol., a subsidiary fault diverging at an acute angle from a larger dislocation.
| 1896 ‘H. Seton Merriman’ Flotsam iv, The waiter, in his rusty black and splay-toed shuffling boots. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 2 Feb. 2/3, I see you..The slave of some splay-kneed mechanic. 1942 E. M. Anderson Dynamics of Faulting vii. 150 Splay faults may..be expected to diverge from the main fracture at about this angle [sc. 22½°]. 1969 Bennison & Wright Geol. Hist. Brit. Isles vii. 147 These structures continue across into Northern Ireland but are much less strongly developed there and are replaced by series of en-echelon and splay faults. 1971 Nature 19 Feb. 538/1 North and south of the Gregory rift..the periclinal ends of the uplifted area are broad transverse depressions traversed by splay-faults. |
▪ III. splay, v.1
(spleɪ)
Also 6 spley(gh, spleigh; pa. pple. 5 splaid, 6 splaied, splaide, spleyde, spleade, spled.
[Aphetic form of display v.]
† 1. trans. To unfold, unfurl, or expand (a banner); = display v. 1. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 9918 Bot horn ne trompe dide non blowe..Til alle were splayed ilka banere. c 1400 Song Roland 452 They splayd baners, for men se it shold. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas viii. xiii. (1558) 8/2 Swerd or septer..There was none nor baners splayde wyde. a 1529 Skelton Agst. Garnesche ii. 30 Ye grounde yow vpon Godfrey..Your stondarde, Syr Olifranke, agenst me for to splay. 1555 Eden Decades i. iii. (Arb.) 83 They assayled the one the other as fiersely, as if mortal ennemies, with theyr baners spleade, shulde fight for theyr goodes. 1594 R. C[arew] Godfrey of B. (1881) 21 He saw the loftie Standard splayd, With Peters Diademe and with his keyes. |
† b. To display in a banner. Obs.—1
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 26 The fyve rosis portraid in the shelde, Splaid in the baner at Jherusalem. |
† c. To adorn with displayed banners. Obs.—1
| 1533 Coronation Q. Anne A j, All the worshypfull Craftes and Occupacyons..toke theyr barges which were splayed with goodly baners. |
2. To spread out, expand, extend; to open out in a spreading manner. Also with out.
In mod. use suggested by splay n. 1.
| c 1402 Lydg. Compl. Bl. Knt. 33 The floures..gunne for to sprede, And for to splay out her leves on brede Ageyn the sunne. 1530 Hickscorner 19 She sawe her sone, all deed, Splayed on a crosse with the fyve welles of pyte. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasmus Par. Luke Pref. 11 b, The grayne of mustard-sede..dyd ferre and wyde spleigh his boughes abrode. 1567 Golding Ovid's Met. vi. (1593) 130 And over Leda she had made a swan his wings to splay. |
| 1879 J. Gilburt in Lett. to Clergy 191 Their portals large splayed out embracingly. 1881 Nature XXIV. 571 If the tube be touched..the shadow will be splayed out in a striking manner. 1893 ‘Q’ (Quiller Couch) Delect. Duchy 127 The..table..collapsed flat.., with its four legs splayed under the circular cover. |
| transf. c 1557 Abp. Parker Ps. xxxiv. 81 Upon the iust and godly men, the Lorde hys eyes doth splay. |
† b. To spread or open out so as to exhibit fully; = display v. 3. Obs.
| c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 625 The cok confesseth emyne[n]t Cupide When he is gemmy tayl bygynnyth splay About hymself. 1513 in Glover Hist. Derby (1829) I. App. 61 Sir John Sowch..bayryth goulls, a Faucon splay'd syttyng upon a stok. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 72 The clothe of his estate of the blacke Egle all splaied on riche clothe of golde. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 40 A gray Mare,..her pannell on her bak,..her tail splayd at most eaz. |
† c. To cut up or carve. Obs. (Cf. display v. 2 b.)
In some late works miscopied as solay.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans F vij b, A Breme splayed. 1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. (1868) 265 Splaye that breme. |
| [Hence in Holme (1688), etc.] |
† d. (See quot. and cf. splaiting vbl. n.) Obs.
| 1463 Paston Lett. II. 143 The ferror..seyth he [a horse] was splayyd, and hys shulder rent from the body. |
† 3. absol. a. To come into view; to display or show oneself. Obs.
| a 1400 Stockholm Medical MS. ii. 186 in Anglia XVIII. 312 On lammesse-day Erly on morw, or sonne splay. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vi. (1811) 236 Thilfer, a Norman, splayed before the hoost of Normans, and slewe an Englysshe man, or knyght, that came agayne hym. |
† b. Of wings: To spread out; to be extended.
| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 697 Ther kam a dowe whyt as snowh, With hys wynges splayng oute. Ibid. 18521 On the pomel..Wonder hygh ther sate a krowe, His whynges splayynge to and ffro. |
4. trans. To bevel or make slanting; to construct with a splay.
| 1598 in Willis & Clark Cambr. (1886) II. 252 The windoes..shalbe well splayed on the inside. 1823 P. Nicholson Pract. Build. 310 In working the cornice, the top or upper side should be splayed away towards its front edge. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. I. xvi. §4 These angles..should at once be bevelled off, or, as it is called, splayed. a 1878 Sir G. Scott Lect. Archit. (1879) I. 278 The simplest method..is to splay the jambs and arch of the window. |
b. To take off by splaying.
| 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. I. 297/2 The upper surface..becomes an octagon when the angles at the corners are splayed off. |
5. intr. a. To have, take, or lie in, an oblique or slanting direction.
| 1725 W. Halfpenny Sound Building 13 A..Door, or Window, whose Jaums..splays more or less. Ibid. 14 The Arch..will splay gradually to AC and DB. 1875 Martin Winding Machinery 45 It is not impossible to build them with sides which splay more and more. 1875 T. Seaton Fret-Cutting 151 The little side ornaments splay outwards and incline downwards. |
b. To spread out in an awkward manner.
| 1848 Thackeray Bk. Snobs xxxii, It was a finger, as knotted as a turkey's drumstick, and splaying all over the piano. |
▪ IV. splay, v.2
Now dial.
[Alteration of spay v.]
trans. To spay (female animals). Also fig.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 230 Sowes also are splaied as well as camels. 1651 Cleveland Poems 4 Geld the loose wits, and let the Muse be splaid. 1663 Boyle Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos. ii. v. 234 The well-known practice of splaying swine and bitches. 1794 Bishton View Agric. Salop 10 The bull calves are cut, and many heifers splayed. 1841 Hartshorne Salop. Ant. Gloss., Splay, to castrate an heifer. |