different between spraddle vs straddle

English

Etymology

Origin uncertain; possibly from sprad, an obsolete dialectal past participle of spread; or a blend of sprawl +? straddle or spread +? straddle, or perhaps from Middle English *spraddelen; a frequentative form of Middle English spradden, spraden, spr?den (“to lay flat, spread; to distribute, scatter, sow”), from Old English spr?dan (“to expand, spread; to outspread, stretch forth”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per- (“to sow, sprinkle, strew”), equivalent to spread +? -le. Compare also dialectal Norwegian spradla (“to flail, squirm, thrash about”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sp?ad(?)l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sp?adl?/
• Hyphenation: sprad?dle

Verb

spraddle (third-person singular simple present spraddles, present participle spraddling, simple past and past participle spraddled) (Canada, Caribbean (West Indies), US)

1. (transitive) To spread apart (the legs). [from c. 1625–1635]
2. (transitive) To spread apart the legs of (someone or something).
3. (intransitive) To lie, move, or stand with legs spread.

Derived terms

• spraddlelegged, spraddle-legged

Noun

spraddle (plural spraddles)

1. A manner of walking with the legs spread out.

References

Anagrams

• paddlers

English

Etymology

As a verb, attested since the 1560s. Most likely, an alteration of dialectal striddle. The noun is first attested in the 1610s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?st?æd.?l/
• Rhymes: -æd?l

Verb

straddle (third-person singular simple present straddles, present participle straddling, simple past and past participle straddled)

1. To sit or stand with a leg on each side of something; to sit astride.
2. To be on both sides of something; to have parts that are in different places, regions, etc.

3. To consider or favor two apparently opposite sides; to be noncommittal.

4. To form a disorderly sprawl; to spread out irregularly.

5. (military) To fire successive artillery shots in front of and behind of a target, especially in order to determine its range (the term "bracket" is often used instead).
6. (poker) To place a voluntary raise prior to receiving cards (only by the first player after the blinds).
7. (intransitive) To stand with the ends staggered; said of the spokes of a wagon wheel where they join the hub.
8. (economy) To execute a commodities market spread.

Related terms

Translations

Noun

straddle (plural straddles)

1. A posture in which one straddles something.
2. (finance) An investment strategy involving simultaneous trade with put and call options on same security with positions that offset one another.
3. (poker) A voluntary raise made prior to receiving cards by the first player after the blinds.
4. (mining) A vertical mine-timber supporting a set.

Translations

Adverb

straddle (not comparable)

1. Astride.