spay
spay Lexical Profile
spay Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To sterilize a female animal surgically by removing its ovaries and usually its uterus.
"Animal shelters routinely spay female cats and dogs before placing them up for adoption."
• noun
A veterinary surgical procedure performed to sterilize a female animal by removing its ovaries and usually its uterus.
"The veterinary clinic scheduled the puppy's routine spay for next Tuesday morning."
British A young male red deer or stag in its third year.
"The gamekeeper spotted a young spay grazing near the edge of the Highland forest."
Word Nuance & Usage
In veterinary usage, 'spay' refers specifically to the surgical sterilization of a female animal by removing its ovaries and uterus, whereas 'neuter' is the broader gender-neutral term (though in everyday speech 'neuter' is often contrasted with 'spay' to refer specifically to castrating male animals).
• Rhymes for spay
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English spayen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman espaier ('to pierce with a sword, castrate'), from Old French espee ('sword'), ultimately from Latin spatha and Ancient Greek spathe ('broad flat blade').