spay

¹

[spey]

verb (used with object)

Veterinary Medicine.

1. to remove the ovaries of (an animal).

spay

²

[spey]

noun

1. a three-year-old male red deer.

spay

/ speɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to remove the ovaries, and usually the uterus, from (a female animal)

Other Word Forms

• unspayed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spay¹

1375–1425; late Middle English spayen < Anglo-French espeïer to cut with a sword ( Old French espeer ), derivative of espee sword; épée

Origin of spay²

1375–1425; late Middle English < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of spay¹

C15: from Old French espeer to cut with the sword, from espee sword, from Latin spatha

Example Sentences

He maintains Barker’s tradition, advising viewers to spay and neuter their pets, but closes each episode with “I love you” and encourages viewers to take care of their mental health.

From Los Angeles Times

An empty bag of fresh frozen plasma hung from her metal crate door — a lifeline she would need during a routine spay procedure due to a blood clotting disorder.

From Los Angeles Times

The solutions ranged from helping owners keep their pets to better customer service for potential adopters to letting adopters take dogs home before returning for spay or neuter operations.

From Los Angeles Times

Mushie, who the couple rescued from a breeder, is a spayed black brindle French bulldog with a white chest, perky ears and no tail.

From Los Angeles Times

They specifically looked at the correlation between neutering or spaying a dog before 1 year of age and a dog's risk of developing certain cancers.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• castrate 
• neuter