Etymology
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sprawl (v.)

Old English spreawlian "move convulsively," with cognates in the Scandinavian languages (such as Norwegian sprala, Danish sprælle) and North Frisian spraweli, probably ultimately from PIE root *sper- (4) "to strew" (see sprout (v.)). Meaning "to spread out" is from c. 1300. That of "to spread or stretch in a careless manner" is attested from 1540s; of things, from 1745. Related: Sprawled; sprawling.

sprawl (n.)

1719, from sprawl (v.); meaning "straggling expansion of built-up districts into surrounding countryside" is from 1955.

Entries linking to sprawl

sprout (v.)

Old English -sprutan (in asprutan "to sprout"), from Proto-Germanic *sprut- (source also of Old Saxon sprutan, Old Frisian spruta, Middle Dutch spruten, Old High German spriozan, German sprießen "to sprout"), from PIE *spreud-, extended form of root *sper- "to strew" (perhaps also the source of Old English spreawlian "to sprawl," sprædan "to spread," spreot "pole;" Armenian sprem "scatter;" Old Lithuanian sprainas "staring, opening wide one's eyes;" Lettish spriežu "I span, I measure"). Related: Sprouted; sprouting.

scrawl (v.)
1610s, "write or draw untidily," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle English scrawlen "spread out the limbs, sprawl" (early 15c.), which possibly is an alteration of sprawlen (see sprawl (v.)) or crawl (v.). Related: Scrawled; scrawling. The noun is recorded from 1690s, from the verb. Meaning "bad handwriting" is from 1710.

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Definitions of sprawl
1
sprawl (v.)
sit or lie with one's limbs spread out;
sprawl (v.)
go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way;
Synonyms: straggle
2
sprawl (n.)
an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities;
Synonyms: conurbation / urban sprawl
sprawl (n.)
an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about;
Synonyms: sprawling
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near sprawl

spout

sprag

sprain

sprang

sprat

sprawl

spray

spray-paint

spread

spreadable

spread-eagle

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