spread (sprɛd
)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: spreads, spreading, spread
- 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
- (tr) around 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 () in English to narrow and lengthen the aperture of (the lips) as for the articulation of a front vowel, such as () in English see ()
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 mainly US Canadian 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
- mainly US a double option Compare straddle (sense 9)
- 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 ⇒
() in English "feel" is a spread vowel
Alternative Forms
ˌspreadaˈbility noun ˈspreadable adjectiveWord Origin
Old English sprǣdan; related to Old High German spreiten to spread, Old Lithuanian sprainas stiffSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
space out,
stagger,
=
circulate,
publish,
broadcast,
advertise,
distribute,
scatter,
proclaim,
transmit,
make public
publicize,
propagate,
disseminate,
promulgate,
make known
blazon,
bruit,
Translations
- British English:
spread
A spread is a soft food which you put on bread....a salad roll with low fat spread.sprɛd NOUN ...a salad roll with low fat spread.
- Spanish:
propagación
nf
- French:
étendue
nf
- German:
Verbreitung
nf
- Chinese: 涂抹酱 n
- Arabic: مَعْجُون n
- Portuguese: extensão nf
- Russian: распространение nnt
- Croatian: širenje nnt
- Czech: šíření nnt
- Danish: spredning nutr
- Dutch: wijdte nf
- Finnish: leviäminen n
- Greek: επάλειψη nf
- Italian: diffusione nf
- Japanese: 広がること n
- Korean: 확산 n
- Norwegian: spennvidde nm
- Polish: rozprzestrzenienie (się) nnt
- Brazilian Portuguese: extensão nf
- European Spanish:
propagación
nf
- Swedish: spridning nutr
- Thai: การกระจาย n
- Turkish: yayılım n
- Vietnamese: sự trải ra n
- British English:
spread
If you spread something somewhere, you open it out.She spread a towel on the sand and lay on it.sprɛd VERB She spread a towel on the sand and lay on it.
- Spanish:
extender
v
- French:
étaler
vt
- German:
ausbreiten
v
- Chinese: 展开 vt
- Arabic: يَنْتَشِرُ vt
- Portuguese: espalhar vt
- Russian: распространять vt
- Croatian: širiti v
- Czech: roztáhnout vt roztahovat
- Danish: sprede v
- Dutch: verspreiden vt
- Finnish: levittää v
- Greek: επαλείφω v
- Italian: spargere v
- Japanese: 広げる v
- Korean: ...에 (...을) 펴다 vt
- Norwegian: spre
- Polish: rozłożyć vt rozkładać
- Brazilian Portuguese: espalhar vt
- European Spanish:
extender
v
- Swedish: sprida vt
- Thai: กระจาย vt
- Turkish: yaymak vt
- Vietnamese: trải ra v
- British English:
spread
If you spread something on a surface, you put it all over the surface.She was spreading butter on the bread.sprɛd VERB She was spreading butter on the bread.
- French:
étaler
vt
- Arabic: يَدْهُنُ v
- Brazilian Portuguese: espalhar vt
Usage examples
She lay with her arms spread out, trying to encompass her new world.
, THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)The 50 strong class five fleet was a lot more spread out initially, covering the whole Solent with long tacks to windward.
Yachting Boating World (2004)DIT is currently spread over 39 buildings on 30 sites in the city.
Irish Times (2002)The risk can be reduced through investing via a fund of funds, in which your investment will be spread across many individual funds.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The boys spread flyers everywhere: `Only a woman can understand a woman's ills.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)