ENGLISH
REFERENCE

spray

n. · v.
US //ˈspɹeɪ// UK //spɹˈeɪ// spray
  1. 1 mist of liquid (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a mass of very small drops of liquid moving through the air.

    a fine, dispersed mist of liquid particles, often created by wind, pressure, or impact.

    Example

    The cool spray from the waterfall felt wonderful on such a hot day.

    Example

    As the waves crashed against the jagged rocks, a fine spray of saltwater hung in the air, coating everything in a thin layer of brine.
  2. 2 pressurized container (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a can or bottle that sends out liquid in tiny drops when you press a button.

    a pressurized container or atomizer designed to dispense liquid products in a fine mist.

    Example

    She used a bug spray to keep the mosquitoes away during the picnic.

    Example

    The technician applied the lubricant using a precision spray to ensure the internal gears were evenly coated without excess runoff.
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  1. 3 branch of flowers (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a small branch with flowers or leaves on it, often used for decoration.

    a small shoot or branch of a plant bearing flowers, leaves, or berries, frequently used in floral arrangements.

    Example

    The bride wore a small spray of white jasmine in her hair.

    Example

    The centerpiece consisted of a delicate spray of orchids arranged artfully across a bed of damp moss.
  2. 4 memory exploit (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a way of filling a computer's memory with data to help a hacker take control.

    the allocation and filling of memory blocks with a specific byte sequence to facilitate an exploit.

    Example

    The security patch was designed to prevent a heap spray attack.

    Example

    By executing a heap spray, the attacker attempted to ensure the malicious payload landed at a predictable memory address.
    • heap spray
  3. 5 to cover with liquid (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to cover something with tiny drops of liquid.

    to direct a dispersed stream of liquid toward a surface or object.

    Example

    You should spray the plants with water every morning.

    Example

    The workers had to spray the entire orchard with organic pesticide before the fruit began to ripen.
  4. 6 to scatter items (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to throw or send many small things out over a wide area.

    to project or scatter a large number of small objects dispersively.

    Example

    The car's tires started to spray gravel as it sped down the dirt road.

    Example

    The machine gun fire began to spray bullets across the abandoned courtyard, forcing the soldiers to seek immediate cover.
  5. 7 animal marking (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Zoology

    when an animal uses urine to mark its territory.

    to eject urine, typically by a male animal, as a means of territorial marking.

    Example

    The male cat started to spray the furniture to mark his territory.

    Example

    In the wild, tigers frequently spray trees along the boundaries of their range to signal their presence to rivals.
  6. 8 to scold (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal Dialect Sport

    to yell at someone or criticize them loudly.

    to deliver a loud, aggressive reprimand or scolding.

    Example

    The coach gave the team a massive spray after they lost the game.

    Example

    After the disastrous first half, the manager gave the players a legendary spray in the locker room that could be heard through the walls.

    Usage

    Common in Australian English, particularly in sporting contexts.

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