sprawl

(eg. origin, love, literature )

sprawl  /s ˈprɔl/ ? Meaning of "sprawl"

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Definition(s):

  1. (n) an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities
  2. (n) an ungainly posture with arms and legs spread about
  3. (v) sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
  4. (v) go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way

Synonym(s)

conurbation, urban sprawl, straggle

Derived Word(s)

sprawler, sprawling, sprawly

Usage(s):

  1. The plan has kept sprawl in check, but competition for limited space has made the city an expensive place to live.
  2. That means more sprawl, more traffic, more smog, more foreign oil and more carbon emissions, but the feds don't seem to care.
  3. Human sprawl threatens the habitat of most animal and plant species--except for cockroaches, rats, pigeons, crabgrass and other organisms that thrive with mankind.

Quotes

  1. "I haven't even begun to show (my potential)," Webster said. "How open is my mind to new things? I can tell you that it really is. I'm excited to see what this offense is going to be like. To see where I can fit in and really just sprawl out...
    on Jun 28, 2010 By: Martell Webster Source: USA Today

  2. "Somewhere along the way it occurred to me that we should do a double album," Lips frontman Wayne Coyne told Billboard.com. "Just this idea that you can kind of weave a couple of themes into there and you can sort of sprawl a little bit."
    on May 13, 2009 By: Wayne Coyne Source: AHN

  3. Although Dingell said in a statement that he recognizes that new houses may be "more energy efficient" than older ones, "sheer size, sprawl and commutes lead to dramatically more energy use -- or to put it more simply, a larger carbon...
    on Oct 12, 2007 By: John Dingell Source: Washington Post

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