Chapter 82

9. Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits.

God has . . . made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.

South.

A perfect judge will read each work of wit With the same spirit that its author writ.

Pope.

10. Intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like.

11. Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities.

All bodies have spirits . . . within them.

Bacon.

12. Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural.

13. pl. Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors.

14. (Med.) A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture. U. S. Disp.

15. (Alchemy) Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).

The four spirits and the bodies seven.

Chaucer.

16. (Dyeing) Stannic chloride. See under Stannic.

Spirit is sometimes joined with other words, forming compounds, generally of obvious signification; as, spirit- moving, spirit-searching, spirit-stirring, etc.

Astral spirits, Familiar spirits, etc. See under Astral, Familiar, etc. -- Animal spirits. (a) (Physiol.) The fluid which at one time was supposed to circulate through the nerves and was regarded as the agent of sensation and motion; -- called also the nervous fluid, or nervous principle. (b) Physical health and energy; frolicsomeness; sportiveness. -- Ardent spirits, strong alcoholic liquors, as brandy, rum, whisky, etc., obtained by distillation. -- Holy Spirit, or The Spirit (Theol.), the Spirit of God, or the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Ghost. The spirit also signifies the human spirit as influenced or animated by the Divine Spirit. -- Proof spirit. (Chem.) See under Proof. -- Rectified spirit (Chem.), spirit rendered purer or more concentrated by redistillation, so as to increase the percentage of absolute alcohol. -- Spirit butterfly (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of delicate butterflies of tropical America belonging to the genus Ithomia. The wings are gauzy and nearly destitute of scales. -- Spirit duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The buffle-headed duck. (b) The golden-eye. -- Spirit lamp (Art), a lamp in which alcohol or methylated spirit is burned. -- Spirit level. See under Level. -- Spirit of hartshorn. (Old Chem.) See under Hartshorn. -- Spirit of Mindererus (Med.), an aqueous solution of acetate of ammonium; -- named after R. Minderer, physician of Augsburg. -- Spirit of nitrous ether (Med. Chem.), a pale yellow liquid, of a sweetish taste and a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the distillation of alcohol with nitric and sulphuric acids, and consists essentially of ethyl nitrite with a little acetic aldehyde. It is used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antispasmodic, etc. Called also sweet spirit of niter. -- Spirit of salt (Chem.), hydrochloric acid; -- so called because obtained from salt and sulphuric acid. [Obs.] -- Spirit of sense, the utmost refinement of sensation. [Obs.] Shak. -- Spirits, or Spirit, of turpentine (Chem.), rectified oil of turpentine, a transparent, colorless, volatile, and very inflammable liquid, distilled from the turpentine of the various species of pine; camphine. See Camphine. -- Spirit of vitriol (Chem.), sulphuric acid; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of green vitriol. [Obs.] -- Spirit of vitriolic ether (Chem.) ether; -- often but incorrectly called sulphuric ether. See Ether. [Obs.] -- Spirits, or Spirit, of wine (Chem.), alcohol; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of wine. -- Spirit rapper, one who practices spirit rapping; a "medium" so called. -- Spirit rapping, an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead by raps. See Spiritualism, 3. -- Sweet spirit of niter. See Spirit of nitrous ether, above.

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Syn. -- Life; ardor; energy; fire; courage; animatioon; cheerfulness; vivacity; enterprise.

Spir"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spirited; p. pr. & vb. n. Spiriting.] 1. To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men; -- sometimes followed by up.

Many officers and private men spirit up and assist those obstinate people to continue in their rebellion.

Swift.

2. To convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; -- often with away, or off.

The ministry had him spirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous person.

Arbuthnot & Pope.

I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of antiquity.

Willis.

Spiriting away (Law), causing to leave; the offense of inducing a witness to leave a jurisdiction so as to evade process requiring attendance at trial.

Spir"it*al*ly (?), adv.[L. spiritalis belonging to breathing.] By means of the breath. [Obs.] Holder.

Spir"it*ed, a. 1. Animated or possessed by a spirit. [Obs.] "So talked the spirited, sly snake." Milton.

2. Animated; full of life or vigor; lively; full of spirit or fire; as, a spirited oration; a spirited answer.

Spirited is much used in composition; as in high- spirited, low-spirited, mean-spirited, etc.

Syn. -- Lively; vivacious; animated; ardent; active; bold; courageous.

-- Spir"it*ed*ly, adv. -- Spir"it*ed*ness, n.

Spir"it*ful (?), a. Full of spirit; spirited. [R.]

The spiritful and orderly life of our own grown men.

Milton.

-- Spir"it*ful*ly, adv. -- Spir"it*ful*ness, n.

Spir"it*ism (?), n. Spiritualsm.

Spir"it*ist, n. A spiritualist.

Spir"it*less, a. 1. Destitute of spirit; wanting animation; wanting cheerfulness; dejected; depressed.

2. Destitute of vigor; wanting life, courage, or fire.

A men so faint, so spiritless, So dull, so dead in lock, so woebegone.

Shak.

3. Having no breath; extinct; dead. "The spiritless body." Greenhill.

-- Spir"it*less*ly, adv. -- Spir"it*less*ness, n.

||Spi`ri*to"so (?), a. & adv. [It.] (Mus.) Spirited; spiritedly; -- a ||direction to perform a passage in an animated, lively manner.

Spir"it*ous (?), a. [Cf. Spirituous.] 1. Like spirit; refined; defecated; pure. [R.]

More refined, more spirituous and pure.

Milton.

2. Ardent; active. [R.]

Spir"it*ous*ness, n. Quality of being spiritous. [R.]

Spir"it*u*al (?), a. [L. spiritualis: cf. F. spirituel. See Spirit.] 1. Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; as, a spiritual substance or being.

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

1 Cor. xv. 44.

2. Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual.

3. Of or pertaining to the moral feelings or states of the soul, as distinguished from the external actions; reaching and affecting the spirits.

God's law is spiritual; it is a transcript of the divine nature, and extends its authority to the acts of the soul of man.

Sir T. Browne.

4. Of or pertaining to the soul or its affections as influenced by the Spirit; controlled and inspired by the divine Spirit; proceeding from the Holy Spirit; pure; holy; divine; heavenly-minded; -- opposed to carnal.

That I may impart unto you some spiritual gift.

Rom. i. ll.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.

Eph. i. 3.

If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.

Gal. vi. 1.

5. Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical; as, the spiritual functions of the clergy; lords spiritual and temporal; a spiritual corporation.

Spiritual coadjuctor. (Eccl.) See the Note under Jesuit. -- Spiritual court (Eccl. Law), an ecclesiastical court, or a court having jurisdiction in ecclesiastical affairs; a court held by a bishop or other ecclesiastic.

Spir"it*u*al, n. A spiritual function, office, or affair. See Spirituality, 2.

He assigns supremacy to the pope in spirituals, and to the emperor in temporals.

Lowell.

Spir"it*u*al*ism (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being spiritual.

2. (Physiol.) The doctrine, in opposition to the materialists, that all which exists is spirit, or soul -- that what is called the external world is either a succession of notions impressed on the mind by the Deity, as maintained by Berkeley, or else the mere educt of the mind itself, as taught by Fichte.

3. A belief that departed spirits hold intercourse with mortals by means of physical phenomena, as by rappng, or during abnormal mental states, as in trances, or the like, commonly manifested through a person of special susceptibility, called a medium; spiritism; the doctrines and practices of spiritualists.

What is called spiritualism should, I think, be called a mental species of materialism.

R. H. Hutton.

Spir"it*u*al*ist (?), n. 1. One who professes a regard for spiritual things only; one whose employment is of a spiritual character; an ecclesiastic.

2. One who maintains the doctrine of spiritualism.

3. One who believes in direct intercourse with departed spirits, through the agency of persons commonly called mediums, by means of physical phenomena; one who attempts to maintain such intercourse; a spiritist.

Spir"it*u*al*ist, a. Spiritualistic. Taylor.

Spir`it*u*al*is"tic (?), a. Relating to, or connected with, spiritualism.

Spir`it*u*al"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Spiritualities (#). [L. spiritualitas: cf. F. spiritualité.] 1. The quality or state of being spiritual; incorporeality; heavenly- mindedness.

A pleasure made for the soul, suitable to its spirituality.

South.

If this light be not spiritual, yet it approacheth nearest to spirituality.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Much of our spirituality and comfort in public worship depends on the state of mind in which we come.

Bickersteth.

2. (Eccl.) That which belongs to the church, or to a person as an ecclesiastic, or to religion, as distinct from temporalities.

During the vacancy of a see, the archbishop is guardian of the spiritualities thereof.

Blackstone.

3. An ecclesiastical body; the whole body of the clergy, as distinct from, or opposed to, the temporality. [Obs.]

Five entire subsidies were granted to the king by the spirituality.

Fuller.

Spir`it*u*al*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of spiritualizing, or the state of being spiritualized.

Spir"it*u*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spiritualized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Spiritualizing (?).] [Cf. F. spiritualiser.] 1. To refine intellectiually or morally; to purify from the corrupting influence of the world; to give a spiritual character or tendency to; as, to spiritualize soul.

This seen in the clear air, and the whole spiritualized by endless recollections, fills the eye and the heart more forcibly than I can find words to say.

Carlyle.

2. To give a spiritual meaning to; to take in a spiritual sense; -- opposed to literalize.

3. (Old Chem.) To extract spirit from; also, to convert into, or impregnate with, spirit.

Spir"it*u*al*i`zer (?), n. One who spiritualizes.

Spir"it*u*al*ly, adv. In a spiritual manner; with purity of spirit; like a spirit.

Spir"it*u*al-mind`ed (?), a. Having the mind set on spiritual things, or filled with holy desires and affections. -- Spir"it*u*al-mind`ed*ness, n.

Spir"it*u*al*ness, n. The quality or state of being spiritual or spiritual-minded; spirituality.

Spir"it*u*al*ty (?), n. [See Spirituality.] (Eccl.) An ecclesiastical body; a spirituality. Shak.

||Spi`ri`tu`elle" (?), a. [F.] Of the nature, or having the appearance, ||of a spirit; pure; refined; ethereal.

Spir`it*u*os"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being spirituous; spirituousness. [R.]

Spir"it*u*ous (?), a. [Cf. (for sense 2) F. spiritueux. Cf. Spiritous.] 1. Having the quality of spirit; tenuous in substance, and having active powers or properties; ethereal; immaterial; spiritual; pure.

2. Containing, or of the nature of, alcoholic (esp. distilled) spirit; consisting of refined spirit; alcoholic; ardent; as, spirituous liquors.

3. Lively; gay; vivid; airy. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

The mind of man is of that spirituous, stirring nature, that it is perpetually at work.

South.

Spir"it*u*ous*ness, n. The quality or state of being spirituous. [R.] Boyle.

Spirk"et*ing (?), n. (Naut.) The planking from the waterways up to the port sills. Totten.

Spirl"ing (?), n. Sparling. [Prov. Eng.]

||Spi`ro*bac*te"ri*a (?), n. pl.; sing. Spirobacterium (&?;). [NL. See ||4th Spire, and Bacterium.] (Biol.) See the Note under Microbacteria.

{ ||Spi`ro*chæ"ta (?), ||Spi`ro*chæ"te (?), } n. [L. spira a coil + Gr. &?;&?;&?; hair.] (Biol.) A genus of Spirobacteria similar to Spirillum, but distinguished by its motility. One species, the Spirochæte Obermeyeri, is supposed to be the cause of relapsing fever.

Spi"ro*graph (?), n. [L. spirare to breathe + -graph.] (Physiol.) An instrument for recording the respiratory movements, as the sphygmograph does those of the pulse.

Spi*rom"e*ter (?), n. [L. spirare to breathe + -meter.] An instrument for measuring the vital capacity of the lungs, or the volume of air which can be expelled from the chest after the deepest possible inspiration. Cf. Pneumatometer.

Spi*rom"e*try (?), n. The act or process of measuring the chest capacity by means of a spirometer.

Spi"ro*scope (?), n. [L. spirare to breathe + -scope.] (Physiol.) A wet meter used to determine the breathing capacity of the lungs.

{ Spi*royl"ic (?), Spi*royl"ous (?), } a. [NL. Spir&?; meadowsweet (a source of salicylal) + -yl + -ic, -ous.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a substance now called salicylal. [Obs.]

Spirt (?), v. & n. Same as Spurt.

Spir"tle (?), v. t. To spirt in a scattering manner.

||Spir"u*la (?), n. [NL., dim. of L. spira a coil.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ||cephalopods having a multilocular, internal, siphunculated shell in ||the form of a flat spiral, the coils of which are not in contact.

Spir"u*late (?), n. (Zoöl.) Having the color spots, or structural parts, arranged spirally.

Spir"y (?), a. [From Spire a winding line.] Of a spiral form; wreathed; curled; serpentine.

Hid in the spiry volumes of the snake.

Dryden.

Spir"y, a. [FR. Spire a steeple.] Of or pertaining to a spire; like a spire, tall, slender, and tapering; abounding in spires; as, spiry turrets. "Spiry towns." Thomson.

Spiss (?), a. [L. spissus.] Thick; crowded; compact; dense. [Obs.]

This spiss and . . . copious, yet concise, treatise.

Brerewood.

Spis"sa*ted (?), a. Rendered dense or compact, as by evaporation; inspissated; thickened. [R.]

The spissated juice of the poppy.

Bp. Warburton.

Spis"si*tude (?), n. [L. spissitudo.] The quality or state of being spissated; as, the spissitude of coagulated blood, or of any coagulum. Arbuthnot.

Spit (?), n. [OE. spite, AS. spitu; akin to D. spit, G. spiess, OHG. spiz, Dan. spid. Sw. spett, and to G. spitz pointed. &radic;170.] 1. A long, slender, pointed rod, usually of iron, for holding meat while roasting.

2. A small point of land running into the sea, or a long, narrow shoal extending from the shore into the sea; as, a spit of sand. Cook.

3. The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Spit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Spitting.] [From Spit, n.; cf. Speet.] 1. To thrust a spit through; to fix upon a spit; hence, to thrust through or impale; as, to spit a loin of veal. "Infants spitted upon pikes." Shak.

2. To spade; to dig. [Prov. Eng.]

Spit, v. i. To attend to a spit; to use a spit. [Obs.]

She's spitting in the kitchen.

Old Play.

Spit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spit (Spat, archaic); p. pr. & vb. n. Spitting.] [AS. spittan; akin to G. spützen, Dan. spytte, Sw. spotta,Icel. sp&?;ta, and prob. E. spew. The past tense spat is due to AS. sp&?;tte, from sp&?;tan to spit. Cf. Spat, n., Spew, Spawl, Spot, n.] 1. To eject from the mouth; to throw out, as saliva or other matter, from the mouth. "Thus spit I out my venom." Chaucer.

2. To eject; to throw out; to belch.

Spitted was sometimes used as the preterit and the past participle. "He . . . shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on." Luke xviii. 32.

Spit, n. The secretion formed by the glands of the mouth; spitle; saliva; sputum.

Spit, v. i. 1. To throw out saliva from the mouth.

2. To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.

It had been spitting with rain.

Dickens.

To spit on or upon, to insult grossly; to treat with contempt. "Spitting upon all antiquity." South.

Spit"al (?), n. [Abbreviated from hospital.] [Written also spittle.] A hospital. [Obs.] Shak.

Spit"al*house` (?), n. A hospital. [Obs.]

Spit"ball` (?), n. Paper chewed, and rolled into a ball, to be thrown as a missile.

Spit"box` (?), n. A vessel to receive spittle.

Spitch"cock` (?), v. t. [1st spit + cock.] (Cookery) To split (as an eel) lengthwise, and broil it, or fry it in hot fat.

Spitch"cock`, n. (Cookery) An eel split and broiled.

Spitch"cocked` (?), a. (Cookery) Broiled or fried after being split lengthwise; -- said of eels.

Spit" curl` (?). A little lock of hair, plastered in a spiral form on the temple or forehead with spittle, or other adhesive substance. [Colloq.]

Spite (?), n. [Abbreviated fr. despite.] 1. Ill-will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; petty malice; grudge; rancor; despite. Pope.

This is the deadly spite that angers.

Shak.

2. Vexation; chargrin; mortification. [R.] Shak.

In spite of, or Spite of, in opposition to all efforts of; in defiance or contempt of; notwithstanding. "Continuing, spite of pain, to use a knee after it had been slightly ibnjured." H. Spenser. "And saved me in spite of the world, the devil, and myself." South. "In spite of all applications, the patient grew worse every day." Arbuthnot. See Syn. under Notwithstanding. -- To owe one a spite, to entertain a mean hatred for him.

Syn. -- Pique, rancor; malevolence; grudge. -- Spite, Malice. Malice has more reference to the disposition, and spite to the manifestation of it in words and actions. It is, therefore, meaner than malice, thought not always more criminal. " Malice . . . is more frequently employed to express the dispositions of inferior minds to execute every purpose of mischief within the more limited circle of their abilities." Cogan. "Consider eke, that spite availeth naught." Wyatt. See Pique.

Spite, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spited; p. pr. & vb. n. Spiting.] 1. To be angry at; to hate. [Obs.]

The Danes, then . . . pagans, spited places of religion.

Fuller.

2. To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

3. To fill with spite; to offend; to vex. [R.]

Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavored to abolish not only their learning, but their language.

Sir. W. Temple.

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Spite"ful (?), a. Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious; as, a spiteful person or act. Shak. -- Spite"ful*ly, adv. Spite"ful*ness, n.

Spit"fire` (?), n. A violent, irascible, or passionate person. [Colloq.] Grose.

Spit"ful (?), n.; pl. Spitfuls (&?;). A spadeful. [Prov. Eng.]

Spit"ous (?), a. Having spite; spiteful. [Obs.]

Spit"ous*ly, adv. Spitefully. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Spits"cocked` (?), a. Spitchcocked.

Spit"ted (?), a. [From Spit.] 1. Put upon a spit; pierced as if by a spit.

2. Shot out long; -- said of antlers. Bacon.

Spit"ted, p. p. of Spit, v. i., to eject, to spit. [Obs.]

Spit"ter (?), n. [See Spit to eject from the mouth.] One who ejects saliva from the mouth.

Spit"ter, n. [See Spit an iron prong.] 1. One who puts meat on a spit.

2. (Zoöl.) A young deer whose antlers begin to shoot or become sharp; a brocket, or pricket.

Spit"tle (?), n. See Spital. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Spit"tle, v. t. [See Spit to spade.] To dig or stir with a small spade. [Prov. Eng.]

Spit"tle, n. A small sort of spade. [Prov. Eng.]

Spit"tle, n. [From Spit to eject from the mouth: cf. Spattle, and AS. sptl.] The thick, moist matter which is secreted by the salivary glands; saliva; spit.

Spittle insect. (Zoöl.) See Cuckoo spit (b), under Cuckoo.

Spit"tly (?), a. Like spittle; slimy. [Obs.]

Spit*toon" (?), n. A spitbox; a cuspidor.

Spit"-ven"om (?), n. Poison spittle; poison ejected from the mouth. [R.] Hooker.

Spitz" dog" (?). [G. spitz, spitzhund.] (Zoöl.) A breed of dogs having erect ears and long silky hair, usually white; -- called also Pomeranian dog, and louploup.

Spitz"en*burgh (?), n. A kind of red and yellow apple, of medium size and spicy flavor. It originated at Newtown, on Long Island.

||Splanch`napoph"y*sis (?), n.; pl. Splanchnapophyses (#). [NL. See ||Splanchnic, and Apophysis.] (Anat.) Any element of the skeleton in ||relation with the alimentary canal, as the jaws and hyoidean ||apparatus. -- Splanch`nap`o*phys"i*al (#), a. Mivart.

Splanch"nic (?), a. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an entrail.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the viscera; visceral.

Splanch*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; an entrail + -graphy.] Splanchnology.

Splanch*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; an entrail + -logy.] That part of anatomy which treats of the viscera; also, a treatise on the viscera.

Splanch"no*pleure (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; an entrail + &?;&?;&?;&?; side.] (Anat.) The inner, or visceral, one of the two lamellæ into which the vertebrate blastoderm divides on either side of the notochord, and from which the walls of the enteric canal and the umbilical vesicle are developed. See Somatopleure.

-- Splanch`no*pleu"ric (#), a.

Splanch`no-skel"e*ton (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; an entrail + E. skeleton.] (Anat.) That part of the skeleton connected with the sense organs and the viscera. Owen.

Splanch*not"o*my (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; an entrail + &?;&?;&?;&?; to cut.] The dissection, or anatomy, of the viscera.

Splan"drel (?), n. See Spandrel. [R.]

Splash (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Splashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Splashing.] [Akin to plash.] 1. To strike and dash about, as water, mud, etc.; to plash.

2. To spatter water, mud, etc., upon; to wet.

Splash, v. i. To strike and dash about water, mud, etc.; to dash in such a way as to spatter.

Splash, n. 1. Water, or water and dirt, thrown upon anything, or thrown from a puddle or the like; also, a spot or daub, as of matter which wets or disfigures.

2. A noise made by striking upon or in a liquid.

Splash"board` (?), n. A guard in the front part of vehicle, to prevent splashing by a mud or water from the horse's heels; -- in the United States commonly called dashboard.

Splash"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, splashes.

2. One of the guarde over the wheels, as of a carriage, locomotive, etc. Weale.

3. A guard to keep off splashes from anything.

Splash"y (?), a. Full of dirty water; wet and muddy, so as be easily splashed about; slushy.

Splat"ter (?), v. i. & t. To spatter; to splash.

Splat"ter*dash` (?), n . Uproar. Jamieson.

Splay (?), v. t. [Abbrev. of display.] 1. To display; to spread. [Obs.] "Our ensigns splayed." Gascoigne.

2. To dislocate, as a shoulder bone.

3. To spay; to castrate. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

4. To turn on one side; to render oblique; to slope or slant, as the side of a door, window, etc. Oxf. Gloss.

Splay, a. Displayed; spread out; turned outward; hence, flat; ungainly; as, splay shoulders.

Sonwthing splay, something blunt-edged, unhandy, and infelicitous.

M. Arnold.

Splay, a. (Arch.) A slope or bevel, especially of the sides of a door or window, by which the opening is made larged at one face of the wall than at the other, or larger at each of the faces than it is between them.