sprayed

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

spray¹ /spreɪ/   n. 

1. liquid broken up into very tiny droplets and blown, forced into, or falling through the air:
   [uncountable] salt spray from the ocean.
2. a jet of such tiny droplets blown or forced from some device:
   [countable] May I have a spray of that perfume?
3. Chemistry [countable] liquid blown or forced into the air in such a jet from a special device:
   [uncountable] a can of bug spray.
   [countable] Those bug sprays smell awful.
4. a device for discharging liquid in a jet of tiny droplets:
   [countable] The manufacturer uses a pump, not a spray, for this paint.
5. a number of small objects flying through the air:
   [countable] a spray of shattered glass.

v. 

6. to scatter in the form of very tiny particles:
   [no object] The water sprayed into our eyes.
7. to apply or direct in a spray:
   [~ + object] The carpenter sprayed paint on the wall.
8. to sprinkle, cover, blast, or treat with or as if with a spray:
   [~ + object] to spray a wall with paint.

spray•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

spray¹  (sprā), n. 

1. Drugs water or other liquid broken up into minute droplets and blown, ejected into, or falling through the air.
2. a jet of fine particles of liquid, as medicine, insecticide, paint, perfume, etc., discharged from an atomizer or other device for direct application to a surface.
3. a liquid to be discharged or applied in such a jet.
4. an apparatus or device for discharging such a liquid.
5. a quantity of small objects, flying or discharged through the air:
   a spray of shattered glass.

v.t. 

6. to scatter in the form of fine particles.
7. to apply as a spray:
   to spray an insecticide on plants.
8. to sprinkle or treat with a spray:
   to spray plants with insecticide.
9. to direct a spray of particles, missiles, etc., upon:
   to spray the mob with tear gas.

v.i. 

10. to scatter spray;
    discharge a spray:
    The hose sprayed over the flowers.
11. to issue as spray:
    The water sprayed from the hose.

• earlier Dutch spraeyen; cognate with Middle High German spræjen
• 1615–25

spray′a•ble, adj. 
spray′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
spray′er, n. 
spray′less, adj. 
spray′like′, adj. 

spray²  (sprā), n. 

1. Botany a single, slender shoot, twig, or branch with its leaves, flowers, or berries.
2. a group or bunch of cut flowers, leafy twigs, etc., arranged decoratively and for display, as in a vase.
3. an ornament having a similar form.

• 1250–1300; Middle English; akin to sprag¹

spray′like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

spray / spreɪ/ noun

1. fine particles of a liquid
2. a liquid, such as perfume, paint, etc, designed to be discharged from an aerosol or atomizer: hair spray
3. the aerosol or atomizer itself
4. a quantity of small objects flying through the air: a spray of bullets

verb

1. to scatter (liquid) in the form of fine particles
2. to discharge (a liquid) from an aerosol or atomizer
3. (transitive) to treat or bombard with a spray: to spray the lawn

Etymology: 17th Century: from Middle Dutch sprāien; related to Middle High German spræjen

ˈsprayer noun

spray / spreɪ/ noun

1. a single slender shoot, twig, or branch that bears buds, leaves, flowers, or berries, either growing on or detached from a plant

Etymology: 13th Century: of Germanic origin; compare Old English sprǣc young shoot, Old Norse sprek brittle wood, Old High German sprahhula splinter