spreader

American  

[spred-er] / ˈsprɛd ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that spreads.

2. a small, dull knife or spatula used for spreading butter, jelly, etc., on bread.

3. a machine for dispersing bulk material.

   manure spreader.

4. a device for spacing or keeping apart two objects, as electric wires.

5. Nautical. a strut for spreading shrouds on a mast.

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spreader British  

/ ˈsprɛdə /

noun

1. a machine or device used for scattering bulk materials, esp manure or fertilizer, over a relatively wide area

2. a device for keeping apart or spacing parallel objects, such as electric wires

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Other Word Forms

• antispreader noun

Etymology

Origin of spreader

First recorded in 1475–85; spread + -er ¹

Example Sentences

It was a full-blooded attempt at character assassination, a branding of Rodgers as untrustful, a perpetrator of untruths, a spreader of falsehoods; divisive, misleading and unacceptable.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

I get to get on stage and make people laugh, be this joy spreader, and then I’m dealing with all these other things that have nothing to do with what I’m here to do.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a prolific spreader and amplifier of misinformation on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, a new report alleges.

From Salon • Sep. 27, 2024

The game has been created for research and teaching, and the participants assume the role of spreader of misleading news.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

It was a fast spreader, and it could live easily in people.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston