spay

1
[ spey ]
See synonyms for spay on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)Veterinary Medicine.
  1. to remove the ovaries of (an animal).

Origin of spay

1
1375–1425; late Middle English spayen<Anglo-French espeïer to cut with a sword (Old French espeer), derivative of espee sword; see épée

Other words from spay

  • un·spayed, adjective

Words that may be confused with spay

Other definitions for spay (2 of 2)

spay2
[ spey ]

noun
  1. a three-year-old male red deer.

Origin of spay

2
1375–1425; late Middle English &lt; ?
  • Also called spay·ad [spey-uhd], /ˈspeɪ əd/, spay·ard [spey-erd]. /ˈspeɪ ərd/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spay in a sentence

  • A pig (a spayed sow is best) bought in March four months old, can be had now for fifteen shillings.

    Cottage Economy | William Cobbett
  • I have spayed with Paris green for the above-mentioned insects; am satisfied that I have checked them.

    The Apple | Various
  • To secure a more uniform flow and a richer quality of milk, cows are sometimes spayed, or castrated.

    Cattle and Their Diseases | Robert Jennings
  • To test this hypothesis, Mr. Winn caused a very good cow, then in full milk, to be spayed.

    Cattle and Their Diseases | Robert Jennings
  • The spayed heifer is an exception to the foregoing remark, and by many is esteemed even more useful than an ox of equal weight.

    Domestic Animals | Richard L. Allen

British Dictionary definitions for spay

spay

/ (speɪ) /


verb
  1. (tr) to remove the ovaries, and usually the uterus, from (a female animal)

Origin of spay

1
C15: from Old French espeer to cut with the sword, from espee sword, from Latin spatha

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012