# spray

/ˈspɹeɪ/ (US) · /spɹˈeɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spray
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. mist of liquid

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

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

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- She used a bug spray to keep the mosquitoes away during the picnic.
- The technician applied the lubricant using a precision spray to ensure the internal gears were evenly coated without excess runoff.

### 3. branch of flowers

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The bride wore a small spray of white jasmine in her hair.
- The centerpiece consisted of a delicate spray of orchids arranged artfully across a bed of damp moss.

### 4. memory exploit

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- The security patch was designed to prevent a heap spray attack.
- By executing a heap spray, the attacker attempted to ensure the malicious payload landed at a predictable memory address.

### 5. to cover with liquid

verb · CEFR B1

to cover something with tiny drops of liquid.

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

- You should spray the plants with water every morning.
- The workers had to spray the entire orchard with organic pesticide before the fruit began to ripen.

### 6. to scatter items

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- The car's tires started to spray gravel as it sped down the dirt road.
- The machine gun fire began to spray bullets across the abandoned courtyard, forcing the soldiers to seek immediate cover.

### 7. animal marking

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

when an animal uses urine to mark its territory.

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

- The male cat started to spray the furniture to mark his territory.
- In the wild, tigers frequently spray trees along the boundaries of their range to signal their presence to rivals.

### 8. to scold

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Dialect

to yell at someone or criticize them loudly.

For teachers: to deliver a loud, aggressive reprimand or scolding.

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

## Examples

- He used a cleaning spray to wipe the table.
- The gardener applied a fine spray of water to the delicate seedlings to keep them hydrated without damaging the leaves.
- As the ferry accelerated into the open channel, a cold spray of saltwater swept across the deck, forcing the remaining passengers to seek shelter in the cabin.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.