To splay means to spread something out wide, usually in an awkward or uncontrolled way. When you trip and fall, your arms and legs might splay out in different directions as you try to catch yourself. A cat stretches with its toes splayed wide apart. If you drop a deck of cards, they might splay across the table in a messy fan.

The word suggests spreading that looks a bit ungainly or dramatic. Your fingers splay when you press your hand flat against a window. A tree's roots splay out from its trunk, reaching in all directions for water and stability.

You might also hear splay used to describe how someone positions themselves: a tired student might sit with their legs splayed out under a desk, or someone might stand with their feet splayed at odd angles. The word captures that sense of things spreading outward from a central point, often wider or more dramatically than seems quite natural.