Meanings
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1
verb
To open out or stretch something over a wider area.
She spread the map out on the table.
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2
verb
To cover a surface with a thin layer of something soft.
He spread butter on his toast.
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3
verb
To reach or pass to more people or places.
The infection spread quickly through the school.
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4
verb
To make information or news known to many people.
Rumors about the merger spread across the office.
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5
noun
A soft food meant to be spread on bread.
She bought a jar of chocolate spread for the kids.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
Etymology
From Middle English spreden, from Old English sprǣdan (“to spread, expand”), from Proto-Germanic *spraidijaną (“to spread”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per- (“to strew, sow, sprinkle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian spreede (“to spread”), West Frisian spriede (“to spread”), North Frisian spriedjen (“to spread”), Dutch spreiden (“to spread”), Low German spreden (“to spread”), German spreiten (“to spread, spread out”), Danish sprede (“to spread”), Norwegian spre, spreie (“to spread, disseminate”), Swedish sprida (“to spread”), Latin spernō, spargō, Ancient Greek σπείρω (speírō), Persian سپردن…
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