no obj., with adverbial
1- sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly way手脚摊开地坐（或躺、倒下）：
the door shot open, sending him sprawling across the pavement
门猛地打开, 他被摔了出来, 四肢朝天倒在人行道上
she lay sprawled on the bed.
她伸展开四肢躺在床上。
1.1
- spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way（混乱或无条理地）大面积铺开：
the town sprawled along several miles of cliff top
城镇沿山崖顶不规则地延伸了好几英里
as adj. sprawling the sprawling suburbs.无序扩展的郊区。
usu. in sing.
1- an ungainly or carelessly relaxed position in which one's arms and legs are spread out四肢摊开的姿势：
she fell into a sort of luxurious sprawl.
她伸展四肢, 舒适地躺着。
1.1
- a group or mass of something that has spread out in an untidy or irregular way无序扩展, 杂乱（或无规则）的扩展：
a sprawl of buildings.
杂乱无章的建筑群。
1.2
- mass noun the expansion of an urban or industrial area into the adjoining countryside in a way perceived to be disorganized and unattractive（市区或工业区向周边郊区的）无组织无计划扩展：
the growth of urban sprawl.
市区杂乱无序的扩展。
派生词
sprawlingly
adverb词源
Old English spreawlian 'move the limbs convulsively'; related to Danish sprælle 'kick or splash about'. The noun dates from the early 18th cent.