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.
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.