spread

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   fully extended in width

   outspread wings

2. 2
   noun

   the expansion of a person's girth, especially at middle age

   I exercised to avoid that middle-aged spread.

3. 3
   verb

   cause to become widely known

   spread information

4. 4
   verb

   become widely known and passed on

   the rumor spread

5. 5
   verb

   distribute or disperse widely

   The invaders spread their language all over the country

6. 6
   verb

   become distributed or widespread

   the infection spread

7. 7
   verb

   distribute over a surface in a layer

   spread cheese on a piece of bread

8. 8
   verb

   cover by spreading something over

   spread the bread with cheese

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…