straddle

/ˈstɹædəl/ verb, noun, adverb

Forms straddles straddling straddled

1. verb (transitive) To sit or stand with a leg on each side of something; to sit astride.
2. verb (transitive) To be on both sides of something; to have parts that are in different places, regions, etc.
3. verb (transitive) To consider or favor two apparently opposite sides; to be noncommittal. “Wanting to please both sides, he straddled the issue.”
4. verb (transitive) To form a disorderly sprawl; to spread out irregularly. “This weed straddles the entire garden.”
5. verb (military) To fire successive artillery shots in front of and behind of a target, especially in order to determine its range (the term "bracket" is often used instead).
6. verb (poker) To place a voluntary raise prior to receiving cards (only by the first player after the blinds).
7. verb (intransitive) To stand with the ends staggered; said of the spokes of a wagon wheel where they join the hub.
8. verb (economics) To execute a commodities market spread.
9. noun A posture in which one straddles something.
10. noun (military) A pair or salvo of successive artillery shots falling both in front of and behind a target. “The first salvo fell short; the next was long; the third was a straddle.”
11. noun (finance) An investment strategy involving simultaneous trade with put and call options on the same security at the same strike price, giving a non-directional position sensitive to volatility.
12. noun (poker) A voluntary raise made prior to receiving cards by the first player after the blinds.
13. noun (mining) A vertical mine-timber supporting a set.
14. noun A part of a harness placed on the back of a beast of burden (such as a horse or donkey) to carry the weight of a load.
15. adverb Astride.

Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “straddle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details