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spread
[spred]
verb (used with object)
to draw, stretch, or open out, especially over a flat surface, as something rolled or folded (often followed byout ).
to stretch out or unfurl in the air, as folded wings, a flag, etc. (often followed byout ).
to distribute over a greater or a relatively great area of space or time (often followed byout ).
to spread out the papers on the table.
to display or exhibit the full extent of; set out in full.
He spread the pots on the ground and started hawking his wares.
to dispose or distribute in a sheet or layer.
to spread hay to dry.
to apply in a thin layer or coating.
to spread butter on a slice of bread.
to overlay or cover with something.
She spread the blanket over her knees.
to set or prepare (a table), as for a meal.
to extend or distribute over a region, place, period of time, among a group, etc.
to send out, scatter, or shed in various directions, as sound, light, etc.
to scatter abroad; diffuse or disseminate, as knowledge, news, disease, etc..
to spread the word of the gospel.
to move or force apart.
He spread his arms over his head in surrender.
to flatten out.
to spread the end of a rivet by hammering.
Phonetics.
to extend the aperture between (the lips) laterally, so as to reduce it vertically, during an utterance.
to delabialize.
verb (used without object)
to become stretched out or extended, as a flag in the wind; expand, as in growth.
to extend over a greater or a considerable area or period.
The factory spread along the river front.
to be or lie outspread or fully extended or displayed, as a landscape or scene.
to admit of being spread or applied in a thin layer, as a soft substance.
Margarine spreads easily.
to become extended or distributed over a region, as population, animals, plants, etc.
to become shed abroad, diffused, or disseminated, as light, influences, rumors, ideas, infection, etc.
to be forced apart, as the rails of a railroad track; separate.
noun
an act or instance of spreading.
With a spread of her arms the actress acknowledged the applause.
expansion, extension, or diffusion.
the spread of consumerism.
the extent of distribution.
to measure the spread of branches.
Finance.
the difference between the prices bid and asked of stock or a commodity for a given time.
a type of straddle in which the call price is placed above and the put price is placed below the current market quotation.
the difference between any two prices or rates for related costs.
the widening spread between lending and borrowing costs.
Stock Exchange., a broker's profit, or the difference between their buying and selling price.
any difference between return on assets and costs of liabilities.
capacity for spreading.
the spread of an elastic material.
a distance or range, as between two points or dates.
The long-distance movers planned a five-day spread between pickup and delivery.
a stretch, expanse, or extent of something.
a spread of timber.
a cloth covering for a bed, table, or the like, especially a bedspread.
Informal., an abundance of food set out on a table; feast.
any food preparation for smearing on bread, crackers, etc., such as jam or peanut butter.
Aeronautics., wingspan.
Sometimes the spread point spread.
Also called layout. Journalism., (in newspapers and magazines) an extensive, varied treatment of a subject, consisting primarily either of a number of cuts picture spread, or picture layout or of a major story and several supplementary stories, usually extending across three or more columns.
an advertisement, photograph, article, or the like, covering several columns, a full page, or two facing pages of a newspaper, magazine, book, etc..
a full-page spread;
a two-page spread.
two facing pages, as of a newspaper, magazine, or book.
landed property, as a farm or ranch.
lay.
adjective
Jewelry., (of a gem) cut with the table too large and the crown too shallow for maximum brilliance; swindled.
Phonetics., (of the opening between the lips) extended laterally.
spread
/ sprɛd /
verb
to extend or unfold or be extended or unfolded to the fullest width
she spread the map on the table
to extend or cause to extend over a larger expanse of space or time
the milk spread all over the floor
the political unrest spread over several years
to apply or be applied in a coating
butter does not spread very well when cold
to distribute or be distributed over an area or region
to display or be displayed in its fullest extent
the landscape spread before us
(tr) to prepare (a table) for a meal
(tr) to lay out (a meal) on a table
to send or be sent out in all directions; disseminate or be disseminated
someone has been spreading rumours
the disease spread quickly
(of rails, wires, etc) to force or be forced apart
to increase the breadth of (a part), esp to flatten the head of a rivet by pressing, hammering, or forging
(tr) agriculture
to lay out (hay) in a relatively thin layer to dry
to scatter (seed, manure, etc) over a relatively wide area
informal, to make (oneself) agreeable to a large number of people, often of the opposite sex
phonetics to narrow and lengthen the aperture of (the lips) as for the articulation of a front vowel, such as ( iː ) in English see ( siː )
noun
the act or process of spreading; diffusion, dispersal, expansion, etc
the spread of the Christian religion
informal, the wingspan of an aircraft
an extent of space or time; stretch
a spread of 50 years
informal, a ranch or relatively large tract of land
the limit of something fully extended
the spread of a bird's wings
a covering for a table or bed
informal, a large meal or feast, esp when it is laid out on a table
a food which can be spread on bread, etc
salmon spread
two facing pages in a book or other publication
a widening of the hips and waist
middle-age spread
stock exchange
the difference between the bid and offer prices quoted by a market maker
the excess of the price at which stock is offered for public sale over the price paid for the same stock by an underwriter
a double option Compare straddle
jewellery the apparent size of a gemstone when viewed from above expressed in carats
a diamond with a spread of four carats
adjective
extended or stretched out, esp to the fullest extent
(of a gem) shallow and flat
phonetics
(of the lips) forming a long narrow aperture
(of speech sounds) articulated with spread lips
(iː) in English "feel" is a spread vowel
Other Word Forms
- spreadability noun
- spreadable adjective
- antispreading adjective
- prespread verb (used with object) prespread, prespreading
- respread verb respread, respreading
- underspread verb (used with object) underspread, underspreading
- unspread adjective
- unspreading adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of spread1
Word History and Origins
Origin of spread1
Idioms and Phrases
spread oneself thin, to carry on so many projects simultaneously that none is done adequately, or that one's health suffers.
Many college students spread themselves thin by taking on too many activities during the semester.
Example Sentences
Historically, it has been done by spreading the sunscreen on 10 people at the same thickness, then timing how long it takes for their skin to start burning both with and without the product applied.
If a new pandemic began today, mRNA vaccines are currently the only type of vaccine that could be developed quickly enough to disrupt its spread.
In May, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
Although the Prime program doesn’t involve password sharing — rather, the invitee has a stripped-down version of a Prime account — it does spread the perk across households.
Over the last several years, their research, development and manufacturing operations have spread across the world, with their biggest manufacturing site in Puerto Rico.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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