spread-eagle

1 of 3

verb

spread-ea·​gle ˈspred-ˌē-gəl 

spread-eagled; spread-eagling ˈspred-ˌē-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to execute a spread eagle (as in skating)

2

: to stand or move with arms and legs stretched out : sprawl

transitive verb

1

: to stretch out into the position of a spread eagle

2

: to spread over

spread-eagle

2 of 3

adjective

: marked by bombast and boastful exaggeration especially of the greatness of the U.S.

spread-eagle oratory

spread eagle

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noun

1

: a representation of an eagle with wings raised and legs extended

2

: something resembling or suggestive of a spread eagle

specifically : a skating figure executed with the skates heel to heel in a straight line

Examples of spread-eagle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Later, when all the staff is hanging in their quarters together, Gabriella, one of the event planners, is sitting spread eagle and just as close to Marciano. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2024

Messing’s nonjumping elements included some entertaining step sequences, including one with a spread eagle leading to a hydroblading move in which nearly his whole body is horizontal on the ice, his face seemingly touching the ice. —Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Feb. 2022

Mention it all, as The Real Housewives of New York’s Bethenny Frankel once shouted while doing No. 17, the spread eagle. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2021

There was the little boy who flung himself on the carpet, spread eagle-style; the student from Japan who became physically sick when his parents left; and several students who sobbed for hours. —Dani Blum, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020

On the final point, a service return by Medvedev that sailed long, Nadal collapsed on his back, lay spread eagle for several moments and screamed into the night air. —David Waldstein, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2019

Espanyol striker Raul Tamudo sneaked in behind the hosts' defence and slid his attempt past the spread eagle keeper to level things up, not only in the tie but also in the title chase, however, Los Blancos held the upper hand in the head-to-head. —SI.com, 3 Feb. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the spread eagle on the Great Seal of the U.S.

First Known Use

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

1853, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spread-eagle

• beagle
• eagle
• legal
• regal
• riegel
• spiegel
• extralegal
• paralegal
• illegal
• viceregal
• medicolegal

Kids Definition

spread-eagle

verb

spread-ea·​gle

ˈspred-ˌē-gəl

spread-eagled; spread-eagling

-ˌē-g(ə-)liŋ

: to stand or move with arms and legs spread wide