- to draw, stretch, or open out, especially over a flat surface, as something rolled or folded (often followed by out).
- to stretch out or unfurl in the air, as folded wings, a flag, etc. (often followed by out).
- to distribute over a greater or a relatively great area of space or time (often followed by out): to spread out the papers on the table.
- to display or exhibit the full extent of; set out in full: He spread the pots on the ground and started hawking his wares.
- to dispose or distribute in a sheet or layer: to spread hay to dry.
- to apply in a thin layer or coating: to spread butter on a slice of bread.
- to overlay or cover with something: She spread the blanket over her knees.
- to set or prepare (a table), as for a meal.
- to extend or distribute over a region, place, period of time, among a group, etc.
- to send out, scatter, or shed in various directions, as sound, light, etc.
- to scatter abroad; diffuse or disseminate, as knowledge, news, disease, etc.: to spread the word of the gospel.
- to move or force apart: He spread his arms over his head in surrender.
- to flatten out: to spread the end of a rivet by hammering.
- Phonetics.
- to extend the aperture between (the lips) laterally, so as to reduce it vertically, during an utterance.
- to delabialize.
- to become stretched out or extended, as a flag in the wind; expand, as in growth.
- to extend over a greater or a considerable area or period: The factory spread along the river front.
- to be or lie outspread or fully extended or displayed, as a landscape or scene.
- to admit of being spread or applied in a thin layer, as a soft substance: Margarine spreads easily.
- to become extended or distributed over a region, as population, animals, plants, etc.
- to become shed abroad, diffused, or disseminated, as light, influences, rumors, ideas, infection, etc.
- to be forced apart, as the rails of a railroad track; separate.
- an act or instance of spreading: With a spread of her arms the actress acknowledged the applause.
- expansion, extension, or diffusion: the spread of consumerism.
- the extent of distribution: to measure the spread of branches.
- Finance.
- the difference between the prices bid and asked of stock or a commodity for a given time.
- a type of straddle in which the call price is placed above and the put price is placed below the current market quotation.
- the difference between any two prices or rates for related costs: the widening spread between lending and borrowing costs.
- a broker's profit, or the difference between their buying and selling price.
- any difference between return on assets and costs of liabilities.
- capacity for spreading: the spread of an elastic material.
- a distance or range, as between two points or dates: The long-distance movers planned a five-day spread between pickup and delivery.
- a stretch, expanse, or extent of something: a spread of timber.
- a cloth covering for a bed, table, or the like, especially a bedspread.
- an abundance of food set out on a table; feast.
- any food preparation for smearing on bread, crackers, etc., such as jam or peanut butter.
- wingspan.
- point spread.
- (in newspapers and magazines) an extensive, varied treatment of a subject, consisting primarily either of a number of cuts(picture spread, or picture layout ) or of a major story and several supplementary stories, usually extending across three or more columns.
- an advertisement, photograph, article, or the like, covering several columns, a full page, or two facing pages of a newspaper, magazine, book, etc.: a full-page spread;a two-page spread.
- two facing pages, as of a newspaper, magazine, or book.
- landed property, as a farm or ranch.
- lay1 (def. 40).
- (of a gem) cut with the table too large and the crown too shallow for maximum brilliance; swindled.
- (of the opening between the lips) extended laterally.
- to carry on so many projects simultaneously that none is done adequately, or that one's health suffers: Many college students spread themselves thin by taking on too many activities during the semester.
- to extend or unfold or be extended or unfolded to the fullest width
- to extend or cause to extend over a larger expanse of space or time
- to apply or be applied in a coating
- to distribute or be distributed over an area or region
- to display or be displayed in its fullest extent
- to prepare (a table) for a meal
- to lay out (a meal) on a table
- to send or be sent out in all directions; disseminate or be disseminated
- (of rails, wires, etc) to force or be forced apart
- to increase the breadth of (a part), esp to flatten the head of a rivet by pressing, hammering, or forging
- (tr) agriculture
- to lay out (hay) in a relatively thin layer to dry
- to scatter (seed, manure, etc) over a relatively wide area
- to make (oneself) agreeable to a large number of people, often of the opposite sex
- to narrow and lengthen the aperture of (the lips) as for the articulation of a front vowel, such as (iː) in English see (siː)
- the act or process of spreading; diffusion, dispersal, expansion, etc
- the wingspan of an aircraft
- an extent of space or time; stretch
- a ranch or relatively large tract of land
- the limit of something fully extended
- a covering for a table or bed
- a large meal or feast, esp when it is laid out on a table
- a food which can be spread on bread, etc
- two facing pages in a book or other publication
- a widening of the hips and waist
- stock exchange
- the difference between the bid and offer prices quoted by a market maker
- the excess of the price at which stock is offered for public sale over the price paid for the same stock by an underwriter
- a double option
- the apparent size of a gemstone when viewed from above expressed in carats
- extended or stretched out, esp to the fullest extent
- (of a gem) shallow and flat
- phonetics
- (of the lips) forming a long narrow aperture
- (of speech sounds) articulated with spread lips
