SPREAD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spread mean? 

• SPREAD (noun)
  The noun SPREAD has 10 senses:

1. process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

2. a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures

3. farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

4. a haphazard distribution in all directions

5. a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes

6. a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed

7. two facing pages of a book or other publication

8. the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age)

9. decorative cover for a bed

10. act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time

  Familiarity information: SPREAD used as a noun is familiar.

• SPREAD (adjective)
  The adjective SPREAD has 3 senses:

1. distributed or spread over a considerable extent

2. prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out

3. fully extended in width

  Familiarity information: SPREAD used as an adjective is uncommon.

• SPREAD (verb)
  The verb SPREAD has 10 senses:

1. distribute or disperse widely

2. become distributed or widespread

3. spread across or over

4. spread out or open from a closed or folded state

5. cause to become widely known

6. become widely known and passed on

7. strew or distribute over an area

8. move outward

9. cover by spreading something over

10. distribute over a surface in a layer

  Familiarity information: SPREAD used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPREAD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

spread; spreading

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

change of location; travel (a movement through space that changes the location of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

dispersion; scattering (spreading widely or driving off)

radiation (the spread of a group of organisms into new habitats)

irradiation ((physiology) the spread of sensory neural impulses in the cortex)

invasion ((pathology) the spread of pathogenic microorganisms or malignant cells to new sites in the body)

diffusion (the spread of social institutions (and myths and skills) from one society to another)

Derivation:

spread (become distributed or widespread)

spread (spread across or over)

spread (strew or distribute over an area)

spread (move outward)

spread (distribute or disperse widely)

spread (become widely known and passed on)

spread (cause to become widely known)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

gap; spread

Context example:

the spread between lending and borrowing costs

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

disparity (inequality or difference in some respect)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cattle farm; cattle ranch; ranch; spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

farm (workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A haphazard distribution in all directions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

scatter; spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

dispersion; distribution (the spatial or geographic property of being scattered about over a range, area, or volume)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

diffuseness (the spatial property of being spread out over a wide area or through a large volume)

Derivation:

spread (cause to become widely known)

spread (become widely known and passed on)

spread (distribute or disperse widely)

spread (become distributed or widespread)

spread (move outward)

spread (strew or distribute over an area)

spread (spread across or over)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

paste; spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

condiment (a preparation (a sauce or relish or spice) to enhance flavor or enjoyment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

tahini (a thick Middle Eastern paste made from ground sesame seeds)

tapenade (a spread consisting of capers and black olives and anchovies made into a puree with olive oil)

pate (liver or meat or fowl finely minced or ground and variously seasoned)

hommos; hoummos; hummus; humous; humus (a thick spread made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic; used especially as a dip for pita; originated in the Middle East)

miso (a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt; used in Japanese cooking to make soups or sauces)

garlic butter (butter seasoned with mashed garlic)

fishpaste (a paste of fish or shellfish)

anchovy butter (butter blended with mashed anchovies)

lobster butter (butter blended with chopped lobster or seasoned with essence from lobster shells)

shrimp butter (butter blended with chopped shrimp or seasoned with essence from shrimp shells)

pimento butter (butter blended with mashed pimento)

onion butter (butter blended with minced onion)

marshmallow fluff (a very sweet white spread resembling marshmallow candy)

peanut butter (a spread made from ground peanuts)

nut butter (ground nuts blended with a little butter)

margarin; margarine; marge; oleo; oleomargarine (a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter)

cheese spread (spread made of cheese mixed with butter or cream or cream cheese and seasonings)

Derivation:

spread (distribute over a surface in a layer)

spread (cover by spreading something over)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

banquet; feast; spread

Context example:

they put out quite a spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

meal; repast (the food served and eaten at one time)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Two facing pages of a book or other publication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

facing pages; spread; spread head; spreadhead

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

page (one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

center spread; centre spread (the spread at the center of a magazine)

centerfold; centrefold (a magazine center spread; especially a foldout of a large photograph or map or other feature)

Holonyms ("spread" is a part of...):

publication (a copy of a printed work offered for distribution)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

she exercised to avoid that middle-aged spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

girth (the distance around a person's body)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Decorative cover for a bed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bed cover; bed covering; bedcover; bedspread; counterpane; spread

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

bed clothing; bedclothes; bedding (coverings that are used on a bed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

coverlet (a decorative bedspread (usually quilted))

quilted bedspread (a bedspread constructed like a thin quilt)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

spread; spreading

Hypernyms ("spread" is a kind of...):

extension (act of expanding in scope; making more widely available)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spread"):

diffusion; dispersal; dispersion; dissemination (the act of dispersing or diffusing something)

scatter; scattering; strewing (the act of scattering)

decentralisation; decentralization (the spread of power away from the center to local branches or governments)

circulation (the spread or transmission of something (as news or money) to a wider group or area)

Derivation:

spread (distribute or disperse widely)

spread (cause to become widely known)

spread (spread across or over)

spread (strew or distribute over an area)

spread (become distributed or widespread)

spread (move outward)

• SPREAD (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distributed or spread over a considerable extent

Synonyms:

dispersed; spread

Context example:

eleven million Jews are spread throughout Europe

Similar:

distributed (spread out or scattered about or divided up)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out

Context example:

a table spread with food

Similar:

prepared (made ready or fit or suitable beforehand)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fully extended in width

Synonyms:

outspread; spread

Context example:

with arms spread wide

Similar:

extended (fully extended or stretched forth)

• SPREAD (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distribute or disperse widely

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

distribute; spread

Context example:

The invaders spread their language all over the country

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

diffuse; fan out; spread; spread out (move outward)

sprawl; straggle (go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way)

redistribute (distribute anew)

deploy (to distribute systematically or strategically)

propagate (transmit or cause to broaden or spread)

straw; strew (spread by scattering ()

discharge (pour forth or release)

metastasise; metastasize (spread throughout the body)

generalise; generalize (become systemic and spread throughout the body)

export (cause to spread in another part of the world)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Antonym:

gather (assemble or get together)

Also:

spread out (set out or stretch in a line, succession, or series)

spread out (move away from each other)

spread out (move outward)

spread out (extend in one or more directions)

Derivation:

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

spreader (a hand tool for spreading something)

spreading; spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become distributed or widespread

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

propagate; spread

Context example:

Optimism spread among the population

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

catch (spread or be communicated)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spread across or over

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

overspread; spread

Context example:

A big oil spot spread across the water

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

continue; cover; extend (span an interval of distance, space or time)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

transgress (spread over land, especially along a subsiding shoreline)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread; spreading (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Spread out or open from a closed or folded state

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

open; spread; spread out; unfold

Context example:

spread your arms

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

undo (cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

splay (spread open or apart)

uncross (change from a crossed to an uncrossed position)

butterfly (cut and spread open, as in preparation for cooking)

grass (spread out clothes on the grass to let it dry and bleach)

exfoliate (spread by opening the leaves of)

divaricate (spread apart)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to become widely known

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

broadcast; circularise; circularize; circulate; diffuse; disperse; disseminate; distribute; pass around; propagate; spread

Context example:

broadcast the news

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

air; bare; publicise; publicize (make public)

Cause:

circulate; go around; spread (become widely known and passed on)

Verb group:

circulate; go around; spread (become widely known and passed on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

podcast (distribute (multimedia files) over the internet for playback on a mobile device or a personal computer)

carry; run (include as the content; broadcast or publicize)

generalise; generalize; popularise; popularize; vulgarise; vulgarize (cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use)

sow (introduce into an environment)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

spreading (the opening of a subject to widespread discussion and debate)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Become widely known and passed on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

circulate; go around; spread

Context example:

the story went around in the office

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

broadcast; circularise; circularize; circulate; diffuse; disperse; disseminate; distribute; pass around; propagate; spread (cause to become widely known)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Strew or distribute over an area

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

scatter; spread; spread out

Context example:

scatter cards across the table

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

circulate; distribute; pass around; pass on (cause to be distributed)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

manure; muck (spread manure, as for fertilization)

birdlime; lime (spread birdlime on branches to catch birds)

circumfuse (spread something around something)

distribute (spread throughout a given area)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

spreader (a mechanical device for scattering something (seed or fertilizer or sand etc.) in all directions)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Move outward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

diffuse; fan out; spread; spread out

Context example:

The soldiers fanned out

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

distribute; spread (distribute or disperse widely)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

percolate (spread gradually)

creep (grow or spread, often in such a way as to cover (a surface))

bleed; run (be diffused)

mantle (spread over a surface, like a mantle)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

spread (act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time)

spread (a haphazard distribution in all directions)

spread (process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Cover by spreading something over

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

spread the bread with cheese

Hypernyms (to "spread" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spread"):

slather (spread thickly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They spread the bread with melted butter

Derivation:

spread (a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes)

spreader (a hand tool for spreading something)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Distribute over a surface in a layer

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

spread cheese on a piece of bread

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

spreader (a hand tool for spreading something)

spread (a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes)

 Context examples 

But what do you think of yourself spreading reports about me like that, and then crawling to me for help the moment you are in trouble?

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A huge spread of shoulders and a chest like a barrel were the other parts of him which appeared above the table, save for two enormous hands covered with long black hair.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It may also prevent the spread of cancer.

(Abegrin, NCI Dictionary)

The team analyzed urine samples from 50 patients with prostate cancer — 37 with prostate-confined tumors and 13 with tumors that spread — and 24 healthy controls.

(Biomarker Signatures of Prostate Cancer, NIH)

It does seem as if all the troubles came in a heap, and I got the heaviest part on my shoulders, sighed Jo, spreading her wet handkerchief over her knees to dry.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The broad pads of their feet were spread wide and in contact with the snow were like velvet.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I advocate them: I am sworn to spread them.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A drug used to treat breast cancer that has come back or spread to other parts of the body.

(ABI-007, NCI Dictionary)

A drug used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

(Ado-trastuzumab emtansine, NCI Dictionary)

The tumor also tends to spread throughout the neuroaxis and is often rapidly progressive.

(Adult Spinal Cord Glioblastoma, NCI Thesaurus)