Spay: meaning, definitions and examples

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spay

[ speɪ ]

Verb

^{Context #1 | Verb}

animal surgery

To spay means to surgically remove the ovaries and uterus of a female animal, typically a cat or dog. This procedure is performed by a veterinarian and is done to prevent the animal from reproducing.

Synonyms

neuter, sterilize.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
spay	Used specifically for female animals when they undergo surgery to remove their reproductive organs to prevent them from having offspring. We decided to spay our cat to avoid unwanted kittens. It's important to spay female dogs to control the pet population.
neuter	Used for both male and female animals when they undergo surgery to make them incapable of reproduction. Typically used more when referring to male animals. The shelter neuters all their animals before putting them up for adoption. We had our dog neutered to prevent him from fathering puppies.
sterilize	A general term that applies to the process of making an animal incapable of reproduction, whether male or female. It can also be used in non-animal contexts, like medical instruments. It's important to sterilize stray animals to control their population. Doctors must sterilize their tools to prevent infections.

Word

Description / Examples

spay

Used specifically for female animals when they undergo surgery to remove their reproductive organs to prevent them from having offspring.

We decided to spay our cat to avoid unwanted kittens.
It's important to spay female dogs to control the pet population.

neuter

Used for both male and female animals when they undergo surgery to make them incapable of reproduction. Typically used more when referring to male animals.

The shelter neuters all their animals before putting them up for adoption.
We had our dog neutered to prevent him from fathering puppies.

sterilize

A general term that applies to the process of making an animal incapable of reproduction, whether male or female. It can also be used in non-animal contexts, like medical instruments.

It's important to sterilize stray animals to control their population.
Doctors must sterilize their tools to prevent infections.

Examples of usage

Many animal shelters spay female cats and dogs before adopting them out.
It is recommended to spay your female pet to prevent overpopulation of unwanted animals.

Translations

Translations of the word "spay" in other languages:

🇵🇹 castrar

🇮🇳 नपुंसक करना (Napunsak Karna)

🇩🇪 kastrieren

🇮🇩 mengebiri

🇺🇦 каструвати

🇵🇱 kastracja

🇯🇵 去勢する (Kyojo suru)

🇫🇷 castrer

🇪🇸 castrar

🇹🇷 kısırlaştırmak

🇰🇷 거세하다 (Geosehada)

🇸🇦 خصي (Khasy)

🇨🇿 kastrovat

🇸🇰 kastrovať

🇨🇳 阉割 (Yānguā)

🇸🇮 kastrirati

🇮🇸 gelda

🇰🇿 піштірту (píshtírtu)

🇬🇪 კასტრაცია (kastratsia)

🇦🇿 kastrasiya

🇲🇽 castrar

Etymology

The word 'spay' originated in the mid-20th century in the United States. It comes from the Old French word 'espeer', which means 'to cut with a sharp instrument'. The practice of spaying animals became more common as a way to control the population of stray animals and prevent overbreeding.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #39,778, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.

...
39775 praline
39776 underachiever
39777 slickly
39778 spay
39779 unshapely
39780 knockoff
39781 wonton
...