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Glite Dictionary
astraddle

astraddle

1 9.9
To sit with one leg on each side of something
  • adverb
  • /əˈstrædəl/
: a horcajadas
  • She mounted the horse astraddle, ready to ride away.

Examples

  • The child sat astraddle the fence, watching the parade go by.

  • He sat astraddle the fence.

  • He placed the board astraddle the gap so they could cross.

  • The child was astraddle his bicycle.

  • She mounted the horse astraddle, ready to ride away.

  • The child sat astraddle the fence, watching the parade go by.

  • He placed the board astraddle the gap so they could cross.

Synonyms

astride
vsastraddle
9 6.1

Sitting or standing with one leg on each side of something like a horse

refers mainly to sitting or being positioned rather than standing

Surface Forms

astraddle positive

Morphology

astraddle = straddle (semi-transparent) = a + straddle

The connection to 'straddle' is clear, but the adverb-forming prefix 'a-' is archaic and not very productive for modern learners.

Etymology

The word astraddle comes from the part a- meaning 'on' and the word straddle, which means to sit or stand with one leg on each side. Think of sitting 'on a saddle' with a leg on either side, and you have the image that explains why astraddle means being placed with a leg on each side of something.