straddle

1. (transitive) To sit or stand with a leg on each side of something; to sit astride.Examples: "But guess my surprise, when I saw the lazy young rogue lie down on his back, and gently pull down Polly upon him, who giving way to his humour, straddled, and with her hands conducted her blind favourite to the right place"; "As they approached the entrance of the port, the giant straddled clear across it, with a foot firmly planted on each headland,"Synonyms: stridetransitive

2. (transitive) To be on both sides of something; to have parts that are in different places, regions, etc.Examples: "The mountain-ringed Yukon Flats basin straddles the Arctic Circle and is bisected by the Yukon River."; "Those in our movement who are Black and must straddle two movements, fighting the racism of the gay community along with the heterosexism in white institutions and in communities of color."Synonyms: arch, traversetransitive

3. (transitive) To consider or favor two apparently opposite sides; to be noncommittal.Examples: "Wanting to please both sides, he straddled the issue."transitive

4. (transitive) To form a disorderly sprawl; to spread out irregularly.Examples: "This weed straddles the entire garden."; "Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks"transitive

5. (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. (poker) To place a voluntary raise prior to receiving cards (only by the first player after the blinds).