The spread eagle is the position in which a person has his or her arms outstretched and legs apart, figuratively resembling an eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

 with wings spread. It is a style that appears commonly in nature and geometry. In human style it is represented by the letter "X".

A spreadeagle is a common position in various fields. It is commonly used in dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

 routines, especially at the conclusion, in figure skating

Figure skating

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

 and at the beginning of sky diving.

Sex position

The spread eagle also refers to a sex position in which one partner lies on his or her back facing up (supine

Supine position

The supine position is a position of the body: lying down with the face up, as opposed to the prone position, which is face down, sometimes with the hands behind the head or neck. When used in surgical procedures, it allows access to the peritoneal, thoracic and pericardial regions; as well as the...

) or (less commonly) lying facing down (prone

Prone position

The term means to lie on bed or ground in a position with chest downwards and back upwards.-Etymology :The word "prone," meaning "naturally inclined to something, apt, liable," has been recorded in English since 1382; the meaning "lying face-down" was first recorded in 1578, but is also referred to...

) with arms and legs spread wide apart. When the partner is lying face down, it is a variation of the doggy style

Doggy style

Doggy style is a group of sex positions in which the receiving partner crouches on all fours with the legs slightly apart...

 position, and when he or she is lying face up it is a variation of the missionary position

Missionary position

The missionary position is a "man-on-top" sex position usually described as the act in which the woman lies on her back and the partners face each other. Though often acted on and applied by heterosexual pairings, it may also be used by gay and lesbian couples.The missionary position is an example...

. Another variation is for the receiving partner's legs to be closed, and the penetrating partner's to be wide apart. This variation is said to be better for stimulating the G-spot

G-spot

The Gräfenberg Spot, often called the G-Spot, is a bean-shaped area of the vagina. Many women report that it is an erogenous zone which, when stimulated, can lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and female ejaculation...

 and the prostate gland and is sometimes called the peace sign position. The face up versions of the position are popular for oral sex

Oral sex

Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...

 play or erotic massage

Erotic massage

Erotic massage or sensuous massage is the use of massage techniques to achieve or enhance sexual arousal. Massages have been used for medical purposes for a very long time. Its use for erotic purposes also has a long history. Today it is used by some couples on occasions as part of lovemaking,...

.

Another variation is to have a standing, vertical spread eagle.

These positions are classic ingredients in sexual roleplay.

Bondage activity

The spread eagle position may sometimes be accompanied by the use of physical restraints

Bondage (BDSM)

Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...

. The spread eagle tie is fairly popular in bedroom bondage because it leaves the tied person vulnerable to various sexual activities, including sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation is any stimulus that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to ejaculation and/or orgasm...

 and orgasm control

Orgasm control

Orgasm control, also known as "edging", "peaking", "surfing", and by other terms, is a sexual technique which involves the maintenance of a high level of sexual arousal for an extended period of time without reaching orgasm, although orgasm can be reached eventually. If orgasm is not reached after...

, while tied up

Rope bondage

Rope bondage is bondage involving the use to rope to tie and wrap the body as part of BDSM activities.Most modern rope bondage techniques derive from the erotic Japanese bondage art form of shibari, which was in turn developed from the now-defunct Japanese military restraint technique of...

, cuffed

Bondage cuffs

Bondage cuffs are restraints designed for use in sexual bondage situations. Compared to conventional handcuffs, they are wide wrist and ankle restraints generally made of leather, often padded with soft leather or fake fur. Bondage cuffs may be fastened at the wrists and/or ankles by a locking...

, or otherwise restrained, and possibly blindfold

Blindfold

A blindfold is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. It can be worn when the eyes are in a closed state and thus prevents the wearer from opening them...

ed, to prevent them interfering with the progress of the activity.

The tied partner may be secured by the wrists and ankles being tied to a frame such as the four corner-posts of a bed or the legs of the bed or with straps passed under the mattress. The partner can be tied in a X-spreadeagle or a Y-spreadeagle, and either face-up or face-down. The main feature of the spread eagle tie is that it leaves the tied person completely vulnerable, with arms and legs stretched out, exposing most of the body, and keeping the person from interfering. A spread eagle tie is relatively simple enabling improvisation using household items and little experience. Its simplicity and ease of preparation make it quick to commence and easy to remove.

The spread eagle tie is a bondage position which seeks to fully separate the arms and legs, and is the opposite of the hogtie

Hogtie bondage

The hogtie is a bondage position in which a submissive's wrists and ankles are fastened together behind their back using some form of physical restraints, such as rope or cuffs....

, which involves the tying of all the limbs together. Otherwise, the objective is the same, which is to immobilise the limbs and render the tied person accessible and vulnerable to a range of sexual play

Human sexual behavior

Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...

, such as stimulation of nipples, erotic massage

Erotic massage

Erotic massage or sensuous massage is the use of massage techniques to achieve or enhance sexual arousal. Massages have been used for medical purposes for a very long time. Its use for erotic purposes also has a long history. Today it is used by some couples on occasions as part of lovemaking,...

 or tickling, or sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation is any stimulus that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to ejaculation and/or orgasm...

. without an ability of the tied person to interfere with the play. As with all bondage plays, the free partner is regarded as being in the dominant or controlling position, while the tied partner is regarded as being sexually submissive, though in some plays the tied partner may control the situation verbally.

A spread eagle may be upright, in which case the tied partner's wrists and ankles are tied to anchoring points on a wall or restraining frame, such as a door frame, a Saint Andrew's Cross

Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM)

The St. Andrew's Cross, Crux decussata, X-cross, X-frame or saltire cross is a common piece of equipment in BDSM dungeons. It typically provides restraining points for ankles, wrists, and waist. When secured to a saltire, the subject is restrained in a standing spreadeagle position.The St...

 or a pair of spreader bar

Spreader bar

A spreader bar is an article of bondage equipment consisting of a metal or wooden bar, with attachment points for bondage cuffs at each end, which can be fastened to wrists, ankles or knees to hold them apart...

s. The tied partner can be face-forward or face-back. More restrictive use of the frame may involve additional straps around the arms, legs, and torso. In some cases, up to five straps can be used on each arm, around both the forearm and biceps. Similarly with the legs, several straps may be secured around the thighs and in some cases even the feet. Additional straps above and below the breasts and around the waist prevent the back or torso from shifting.

The complete helplessness and vulnerability of the partner in this position allows the dominant partner complete freedom with the subject, able to whip

Erotic spanking

Erotic spanking is the act of spanking another person for the sexual arousal or gratification of either or both parties...

 or tickle

Tickle

tickling is the act of touching a part of the body lightly so as to cause involuntary laughter or contraction of the muscles;The word tickle can refer to:...

 any of the exposed body. Tie and tease

Tie and tease

Tie and tease refers to the BDSM sexual activity that involves tying up a partner and bringing him or her to a heightened state of sexual arousal but controlling whether and when to allow them to orgasm, which might or might not be decided in advance...

 and orgasm control

Orgasm control

Orgasm control, also known as "edging", "peaking", "surfing", and by other terms, is a sexual technique which involves the maintenance of a high level of sexual arousal for an extended period of time without reaching orgasm, although orgasm can be reached eventually. If orgasm is not reached after...

 are popular forms of play in a spread eagle tie, where the legs are securely spread and the dominant may provide sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation is any stimulus that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to ejaculation and/or orgasm...

 at will.

This position is also popular for some adult BDSM

BDSM

BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...

 games, because it leaves the subject open for various sexual activities, including impact play

Impact play

Impact play is a human sexual practice in which one person is struck by another person for the sexual gratification of either or both parties. Impact play is sometimes referred to as corporal punishment or CP...

. In the adult industry, orgasm torture (a BDSM practice of continuing stimulating the clitoris producing multiple orgasms) is common in this position, especially with additional restraints, as the subject is totally incapable of resisting or even closing his or her legs.

Spiders swimming

Jumping spider

Jumping spider

The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...

s of the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

  Portia can swim by cautiously moving on to the surface of the water, adopting a spreadeagle position, and then moving one leg forward at a time.