Straddle

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈstræd.É™l/
• Rhymes: -ædÉ™l

Full definition of straddle

Verb

1. To sit or stand with a leg on each side of something.
• 1853, Nathaniel Hawthorne, As they approached the entrance of the port, the giant straddled clear across it, with a foot firmly planted on each headland,
• 1978, Jimmy Carter, The mountain-ringed Yukon Flats basin straddles the Arctic Circle and is bisected by the Yukon River.
2. To form a disorderly sprawl.
3. (military) To fire successive artillery shots in front of and behind of a target, especially in order to determine its range.
4. (poker) To place a voluntary raise prior to receiving cards (only by the first player after the blinds).
5. (intransitive) To stand with the ends staggered; said of the spokes of a wagon wheel where they join the hub.

Noun

1. a posture in which one straddles something
2. (finance) an investment strategy involving trade in derivatives
3. (poker) A voluntary raise made prior to receiving cards by the first player after the blinds.