spey
spey Lexical Profile
• noun
Scottish A major river in the Scottish Highlands flowing into the Moray Firth, globally renowned for its Atlantic salmon fishing and the numerous whisky distilleries along its valley.
"Every autumn, dedicated anglers travel to the Spey hoping to catch a record-breaking salmon."
A specialized style of fly-fishing cast performed with a long, two-handed rod, designed to cast heavy flies long distances without needing space behind the angler for a backcast.
"He practiced his spey on the riverbank before wading into the deeper currents to swing flies for steelhead."
• verb
British To surgically remove the ovaries and uterus of a female animal to prevent pregnancy; an alternative spelling of 'spay'.
"The local animal shelter ensures that every adopted cat is vaccinated and speyed before going to its new home."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the surgical procedure on animals, 'spey' is a British and Australasian variant spelling of the standard 'spay'. When referring to the fly-fishing cast, it is typically capitalized as 'Spey' because it derives from a Scottish proper noun.
• Rhymes for spey
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The fishing term derives from the River Spey in Scotland, where the two-handed casting technique was developed in the mid-19th century. The veterinary verb is an alternative spelling of 'spay', originating from the Old French 'espeier' (to cut with a sword).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.