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| strad·dle [ strádd'l ] |
verb (past and past participle strad·dled, present participle strad·dling, 3rd person present singular strad·dles) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb sit or stand astride something: to sit or stand so that one leg is on one side and the other leg is on the other side of something or somebody
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2. transitive verb extend to other side of something: to extend across something or be divided by something and have parts on both sides of it
  The city straddles the river.
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3. transitive verb apply to more than one thing: to exist in, belong to, or apply to more than one situation or category
The rule of the dynasty straddled the end of one century and the beginning of the next.
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4. transitive verb spread legs apart: to spread your legs apart, usually so that they are on both sides of something
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5. intransitive verb sit or walk with legs apart: to sit, stand, or walk with your legs spread apart or on each side of something
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6. transitive and intransitive verb U.S. favor both sides: to appear to favor both sides of an issue, or resist committing to one side or the other
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7. transitive verb military fire shells for range: to fire a salvo of artillery shells at a target so that some fall in front of it and some behind it, in order to find the correct range
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noun (plural strad·dles) |
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1. position astride or across something: a position in which somebody or something is astride or on both sides of something
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2. act of straddling: an act of putting one leg on each side of something
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3. U.S. noncommittal position: a position on an issue that seems to favor both sides or resists committing to one side or the other
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4. finance stock transaction: the simultaneous holding of options to buy and sell a commodity or security at a set price during a specific period of time, ensuring a profit whether the value rises or falls
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| [Mid-16th century. Probably variant of obsolete striddle "keep striding" < earlier form of stride] |
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| strad·dler noun |
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