The Collaborative International Dictionary
spread-eagle \spread"-ea`gle\ (spr[e^]d"[=e]`g'l), a.
Characterized by a pretentious, boastful, exaggerated style;
defiantly or extravagantly bombastic, especially regarding of
the greatness of the U. S.; as, a spread-eagle orator; a
spread-eagle speech. [Colloq. & Humorous]
--[MW10]
spread-eagle \spread"-ea`gle\ v. i. To assume a spread-eagled position; -- it may be done reclining, for relaxation, or momentarily, as an exhibitionary maneuver in a sport.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
literally "splayed eagle," 1560s, a heraldic term, from past participle adjective of spread (v.). Common on signs, flags, etc; the colloquial term was from split crow. The figure is on the seal of the United States (hence spreadeagleism "extravagant laudation of the U.S.," 1858). Meaning "person secured with arms and legs stretched out" (originally to be flogged) is attested from 1785.
Wiktionary
1 Lying with arms and legs outstretched and separated. 2 (context colloquial humorous English) Characterized by a pretentious, boastful, exaggerated style; bombastic. adv. With arms and legs extended and spread. v
1 (context transitive English) To put into a spread-eagle position, with arms and legs extended and spread. 2 (context intransitive English) To put one's body in a spread eagle.
WordNet
adj. with arms and legs stretched out and apart; "lay spread-eagle on the floor"
v. stretch out completely; "They spread-eagled him across the floor"
stretch over; "His residences spread-eagle the entire county"
execute a spread eagleon skates, with arms and legs stretched out
stand with arms and legs spread out
defeat disastrously [syn: spreadeagle, rout]
Usage examples of "spread-eagle".
As soon as she had done so, Maude strapped her wrists to the front legs of the apparatus, whilst Alice made her slim ankles fast to the other legs, thus spread-eagling her startlingly jutting, white, twitching bottom out and up in the most lascivious way, so that the secret ambery crease between the naked hillocks was lewdly distended and every portion of her private anatomy exposed not only to the gaze of her executioner but also to the searching tips of the slender withes of the fresh new rod which Maude now handed her chum with sparkling eyes.
When I reflect that out of the 70,000,000 of this nation we number only 9,000,000, and that out of that 9,000,000 so large a proportion is made up of poor factory hands, poor mill and shop and mine and railroad employees, poor government clerks, I still fail to find material for buncombe or spread-eagle or taffy-giving.
His great body, arms outflung, came spread-eagling through the air, and, as Snair stepped back, Grogan landed head-on in that broken black lava.
I imagined myself staked spread-eagle on an ant hill, Spieler, a feather protruding from behind his head, laughing, sprinkling sugar on me.
By the time Torma joined him, Kavan was spread-eagled against the ice, his feet balanced in two footholds.
He held her there, spread-eagled over a woven hunting scene, feet off the floor and snowy gown spread out and flattened.
As Bronden stepped back, Sulgate staggered sidewise, twisted about and spread-eagled on the floor.
His white face, glimmering with sweat, alarmed Rachel more than the sight of Alma spread-eagled on the table in lithotomy position, feet up in stirrups, huge belly draped in a sterile blue sheet.
He hung spread-eagled and imbedded in the fiberfill insulation like a fly in amber, staring blankly at the floor.
More interestingly, perhaps, was the fact that Ann Campbell was spread-eagled on her back, her wrists and ankles bound to tent pegs with cord.
Rena, a brown leather case lined in green figured velvet holding a spread-eagled wax nude with a white cat head made in white bunny fur.
Spread-eagle against the ice, slinging axes, right and left, one after another, digging steel-toothed crampons toe-first into the wall, Jack crawled vertically up.
In fact, the pressors did weaken sufficiently to assure the spread-eagling did not look faked.
It was in this awkward positionme spread-eagled on my stomach, Brant handcuffed and moaning in the hall, Selma angling herself into position to blow my head off if she could manage itthat I chanced to look up at her, watching in slow-motion amazement as she screwed up her face, closed her eyes, turned her head, and squeezed the trigger.
X forced him there-poor Babygirl spread-eagled and helpless bleeding from a thousand welts and lacerations made by his claws and teeth and why was he being forced snout-first, and then head-first, then his shoulders, his sleek muscular length, why there-in there-so he choked, near-suffocated, used his teeth to tear a way free for himself yet even as he did so Mr.