spread

American  

[spred] / sprɛd /

verb (used with object)

• spreads,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spread,
  past participle,  past
• spreading
  present participle

1. to draw, stretch, or open out, especially over a flat surface, as something rolled or folded (often followed byout ).

   Synonyms:

   expand, unroll, unfold

2. to stretch out or unfurl in the air, as folded wings, a flag, etc. (often followed byout ).

3. 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.

4. to display or exhibit the full extent of; set out in full.

   He spread the pots on the ground and started hawking his wares.

5. to dispose or distribute in a sheet or layer.

   to spread hay to dry.

6. to apply in a thin layer or coating.

   to spread butter on a slice of bread.

7. to overlay or cover with something.

   She spread the blanket over her knees.

8. to set or prepare (a table), as for a meal.

9. to extend or distribute over a region, place, period of time, among a group, etc.

10. to send out, scatter, or shed in various directions, as sound, light, etc.

    Synonyms:

    radiate, diffuse, emit

11. to scatter abroad; diffuse or disseminate, as knowledge, news, disease, etc..

    to spread the word of the gospel.

    Synonyms:

    propagate, promulgate, circulate, publish, scatter, disperse

12. to move or force apart.

    He spread his arms over his head in surrender.

13. to flatten out.

    to spread the end of a rivet by hammering.

14. Phonetics.

    1. to extend the aperture between (the lips) laterally, so as to reduce it vertically, during an utterance.

    2. to delabialize.

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verb (used without object)

• spreads,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spread,
  past participle,  past
• spreading
  present participle

1. to become stretched out or extended, as a flag in the wind; expand, as in growth.

   Synonyms:

   dilate, stretch

2. to extend over a greater or a considerable area or period.

   The factory spread along the river front.

3. to be or lie outspread or fully extended or displayed, as a landscape or scene.

4. to admit of being spread or applied in a thin layer, as a soft substance.

   Margarine spreads easily.

5. to become extended or distributed over a region, as population, animals, plants, etc.

6. to become shed abroad, diffused, or disseminated, as light, influences, rumors, ideas, infection, etc.

7. to be forced apart, as the rails of a railroad track; separate.

noun

• spreads
  plural

1. an act or instance of spreading.

   With a spread of her arms the actress acknowledged the applause.

2. expansion, extension, or diffusion.

   the spread of consumerism.

3. the extent of distribution.

   to measure the spread of branches.

   Synonyms:

   compass, reach

4. Finance.

   1. the difference between the prices bid and asked of stock or a commodity for a given time.

   2. a type of straddle in which the call price is placed above and the put price is placed below the current market quotation.

   3. the difference between any two prices or rates for related costs.

      the widening spread between lending and borrowing costs.

   4. Stock Exchange. a broker's profit, or the difference between their buying and selling price.

   5. any difference between return on assets and costs of liabilities.

5. capacity for spreading.

   the spread of an elastic material.

6. a distance or range, as between two points or dates.

   The long-distance movers planned a five-day spread between pickup and delivery.

7. a stretch, expanse, or extent of something.

   a spread of timber.

8. a cloth covering for a bed, table, or the like, especially a bedspread.

9. Informal. an abundance of food set out on a table; feast.

10. any food preparation for smearing on bread, crackers, etc., such as jam or peanut butter.

11. Aeronautics. wingspan.

12. Sometimes the spread point spread.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. two facing pages, as of a newspaper, magazine, or book.

16. landed property, as a farm or ranch.

17. lay.

adjective

1. Jewelry. (of a gem) cut with the table too large and the crown too shallow for maximum brilliance; swindled.

2. Phonetics. (of the opening between the lips) extended laterally.

idioms

1. 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.

spread British  

/ sprɛd /

verb

1. to extend or unfold or be extended or unfolded to the fullest width

   she spread the map on the table

2. 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

3. to apply or be applied in a coating

   butter does not spread very well when cold

4. to distribute or be distributed over an area or region

5. to display or be displayed in its fullest extent

   the landscape spread before us

6. (tr) to prepare (a table) for a meal

7. (tr) to lay out (a meal) on a table

8. to send or be sent out in all directions; disseminate or be disseminated

   someone has been spreading rumours

   the disease spread quickly

9. (of rails, wires, etc) to force or be forced apart

10. to increase the breadth of (a part), esp to flatten the head of a rivet by pressing, hammering, or forging

11. (tr) agriculture

    1. to lay out (hay) in a relatively thin layer to dry

    2. to scatter (seed, manure, etc) over a relatively wide area

12. informal to make (oneself) agreeable to a large number of people, often of the opposite sex

13. 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 )

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noun

1. the act or process of spreading; diffusion, dispersal, expansion, etc

   the spread of the Christian religion

2. informal the wingspan of an aircraft

3. an extent of space or time; stretch

   a spread of 50 years

4. informal a ranch or relatively large tract of land

5. the limit of something fully extended

   the spread of a bird's wings

6. a covering for a table or bed

7. informal a large meal or feast, esp when it is laid out on a table

8. a food which can be spread on bread, etc

   salmon spread

9. two facing pages in a book or other publication

10. a widening of the hips and waist

    middle-age spread

11. stock exchange

    1. the difference between the bid and offer prices quoted by a market maker

    2. the excess of the price at which stock is offered for public sale over the price paid for the same stock by an underwriter

    3. a double option Compare straddle

12. jewellery the apparent size of a gemstone when viewed from above expressed in carats

    a diamond with a spread of four carats

adjective

1. extended or stretched out, esp to the fullest extent

2. (of a gem) shallow and flat

3. phonetics

   1. (of the lips) forming a long narrow aperture

   2. (of speech sounds) articulated with spread lips

      (iː) in English "feel" is a spread vowel

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• spreadability
  noun
• respread
  verb
• prespread
  verb (used with object)
• underspread
  verb (used with object)
• antispreading
  adjective
• spreadable
  adjective
• unspread
  adjective
• unspreading
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• spreads
  plural

Participles

• spreading
  present
• spread
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• spread
  simple
• spreads
  simple
• have spread
  perfect
• has spread
  perfect
• am spreading
  progressive
• are spreading
  progressive
• is spreading
  progressive
• have been spreading
  perfect progressive
• has been spreading
  perfect progressive

Past

• spread
  simple
• had spread
  perfect
• was spreading
  progressive
• were spreading
  progressive
• had been spreading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will spread
  simple
• will have spread
  perfect
• will be spreading
  progressive
• will have been spreading
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of spread

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English verb spreden, Old English sprǣdan; cognate with Middle Dutch spreden, German spreiten

Explanation

When something is spread, it's stretched or extended as far as it can go. It's a beautiful sight to see a bald eagle spread its wings and fly. When you spread a picnic blanket on the ground, you open it and stretch it across the grass. You can also see the ocean spread out in front of you, or spread butter on toast, for example. Any way you use it, spread implies an extension across some distance, a stretching of some sort. The expression spread too thin means you are having trouble finding the time and energy to do everything in your life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spread spreads spreading

The spread between the cost of producing a barrel of gasoline and the cost of the crude oil needed to produce it — known among traders as the “crack spread” — has widened sharply.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

As the number of gluons increases, the proton's momentum becomes spread among more of them.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

The California Department of Public Health identified this local spread as the most notable recent vector-borne trend it’s tracking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

John Moore was asked to leave his home on Osmaston Road as fire spread through grass and woodland about half a mile away.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

I felt it spread to myself: how could one survive if one kept on feeling?

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

FLS said pyrophilous was present in soils and appeared above ground following fires, or spreads from unaffected areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

They’re not high-rises, but multi-tier spreads in the mold of seafood towers that instead are loaded with buns, wieners and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Even so, the cancer returns in most cases and typically spreads throughout the abdominal cavity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

A small village spreads out before her—ALTAMIRA, say the rippling letters on the corrugated tin roof of the first house.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Two days later, satellite imagery shows the slick had doubled in size and was spreading north-west through the strait towards Qeshm.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Emergency services said some of the blazes around Stourbridge were set deliberately in grasslands before spreading.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The researchers trained neural networks using videos that showed dye spreading through brain tissue over time.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

Flock surveillance cameras are spreading across the country.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

“Seems like a good idea to freshen things up. Everything around this town is growing and spreading, especially with all the moving-picture business.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• circulate
• cover
• develop
• disperse
• escalate
• expand
• extend
• flow
• increase
• lay
• multiply
• proliferate
• reach
• set
• spray
• stretch