Definitions for sprawl
sprɔlsprawl

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. conurbation, urban sprawl, sprawlnoun

   an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities

2. sprawl, sprawlingverb

   an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about

3. sprawlverb

   sit or lie with one's limbs spread out

4. sprawl, straggleverb

   go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way

   "Branches straggling out quite far"

GCIDERate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sprawlnoun

   The position or state resulting from sprawling; as, he sat on the couch in a sprawl; uncontrolled urban sprawl.

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. sprawlnoun

   An ungainly sprawling posture.

2. sprawlnoun

   A straggling, haphazard growth, especially of housing on the edge of a city.

3. sprawlverb

   To sit with the limbs spread out.

4. sprawlverb

   To spread out in a disorderly fashion; to straggle.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To Sprawlverb

   Etymology: spradle, Danish; spartelen, Dutch.

   1. To struggle as in the convulsions of death.

   Hang the child, that he may see it sprawl;
   A sight to vex the father’s soul. William Shakespeare.

   Some lie sprawling on the ground,
   With many a gash and bloody wound. Hudibras.

   2. To tumble with agitation and contortion of the limbs.

   The birds were not fledged; but upon sprawling and struggling to get clear of the flame, down they tumbled. Roger L'Estrange.

   Telamon hap’d to meet
   A rising root that held his fasten’d feet;
   So down he fell, whom sprawling on the ground,
   His brother from the wooden gyves unbound. Dryden.

   Hence, long before the child can crawl,
   He learns to kick, and wince, and sprawl. Matthew Prior.

   Did the stars do this feat once only, which gave beginning to human race? who were there then in the world, to observe the births of those first men, and calculate their nativities, as they sprawled out of ditches? Richard Bentley.

   He ran, he leapt into a flood,
   There sprawl’d a while, and scarce got out,
   All cover’d o’er with slime. Jonathan Swift.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sprawlverb

   to spread and stretch the body or limbs carelessly in a horizontal position; to lie with the limbs stretched out ungracefully

2. Sprawlverb

   to spread irregularly, as vines, plants, or tress; to spread ungracefully, as chirography

3. Sprawlverb

   to move, when lying down, with awkward extension and motions of the limbs; to scramble in creeping

4. Etymology: [OE. spraulen; cf. Sw. sprattla to sprawl, dial. Sw. spralla, Dan. spraelle, spraelde, D. spartelen, spertelen, to flounder, to struggle.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sprawl

   A sprawl is a martial arts and wrestling term for a defensive technique that is done in response to certain takedown attempts, typically double or single leg takedown attempts. The sprawl is performed by scooting the legs backwards, so as to land on the upper back of the opponent attempting the takedown. The resultant position is also known as a sprawl or sprawling position. Ideally, the sprawling athlete should arch his back as much as possible and keep his knees off the mat. His options here including attempting to gain leverage on the lower back by hooking underneath the elbows; throwing in a headlock; and grabbing his opponent's ankles and trying to get behind his opponent. In mixed martial arts, sprawling is an important aspect of the sprawl-and-brawl tactic. Although the sprawl is favored among numerous wrestlers and mixed martial arts fighters, some practitioners prefer to use the technique called the 'down block'.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sprawl

   sprawl, v.i. to toss or kick about the limbs: to stretch the body carelessly when lying: to spread ungracefully.—n. a sprawling posture.—n. Sprawl′er. [There is an A.S. spréawlian, to move convulsively; but the word is most probably for sprattle or sprottle—Sw. sprattla, to sprawl; cf. Dan. sprælle, to toss about the limbs.]

Matched Categories

1. • Lie
   • Sit
   • Spread
   • Urban Area

How to pronounce sprawl?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say sprawl in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of sprawl in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of sprawl in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of sprawl in a Sentence

1. Bellur Prabhakar:

   Social distancing in a country like India is going to be very, very challenging, we might be able to pull it off in urban areas, but in slums and areas of urban sprawl, I just don't see how it can be done.

2. Jim Ambrose:

   It's hard for people to wrap their head around what exactly is going on. It gets everywhere -- it's nothing but sprawl. It's not limited to the bedroom.

3. Jerry Shannon:

   Supermarkets became the most common source for grocery shopping during a time of rapid suburbanization, and their car-dependent large footprint format is designed for suburban sprawl, supermarkets were created with suburban residents in mind.

4. Stefaan Poortman:

   Sites all over the world are under threat at any given moment. Apart from the monuments and ancient cities in the Middle East, I would say historic districts of major cities in Asia face the highest threat due to the unchecked sprawl and development, tourism is not regulated well enough and the massive influx is putting a strain on sites all over the world. The most well-known sites like Angkor or Machu Picchu are really swamped with tourism. Not only does it affect the sites but at a certain point, if unchecked, tourism can negatively impact the quality of life for local communities as well.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=sprawl
2. ^ GCIDE
   https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=sprawl
3. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sprawl
4. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=sprawl
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=sprawl
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=sprawl