spread

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To open out or stretch something over a wider area.

   She spread the map out on the table.

2. 2
   verb

   To cover a surface with a thin layer of something soft.

   He spread butter on his toast.

3. 3
   verb

   To reach or pass to more people or places.

   The infection spread quickly through the school.

4. 4
   verb

   To make information or news known to many people.

   Rumors about the merger spread across the office.

5. 5
   noun

   A soft food meant to be spread on bread.

   She bought a jar of chocolate spread for the kids.

Appears in

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…

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary