Your ShelfYour Projects
Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Spread

Sprĕad, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. SPREAD; p. pr. & vb. n. SPREADING.] [A-S. sprædan, L. Ger. spreden, spreen, spreien, Dan. sprede, Sw. sprida, D. spreiden, spreijen, O. H. Ger. spreitan, M. H. Ger. spreiten, spriten, N. H. Ger. spreiten.] 1. To extend in length and breadth, or in breadth only; to stretch or expand to a broader surface or extent; to open; to unfurl; as, to spread a carpet or a table-cloth; to spread a tent or sail. Here the Rhone Hath spread himself a couch. Byron. 2. To extend so as to cover something; to shoot to a greater extent in every direction, so as to cause to fill or cover a wider space. The stately trees fast spread their branches. Milton. 3. To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be more extensively known; as, to spread a report;—often accompanied by abroad. They, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. Matt. ix. 31.

  1. To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to spread a disease.
  2. To emit; to diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; as, odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.
  3. To disperse; to scatter over a larger surface; as, to spread manure; to spread plaster or lime on the ground.
  4. To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to spread a table.

To spread cloth, to unfurl sail. [Obs.] Evelyn. Syn.—To diffuse; propagate; disperse; publish; distribute; scatter; circulate; disseminate; dispense.

Sprēad, v. i.

verbintransitive

Sprēad, v. i. 1. To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in breadth only; to be extended or stretched.

Plants, if they spread much, are seldom tall. Bacon.

Governor Winthrop, and his associates at Charlestown, had for a church a large, spreading tree. B. Trumbull.

Sense 2. To be extended by drawing or beating; as, a metal spreads with difficulty.

Sense 3. To be made known more extensively, as news.

Sense 4. To be propagated from one to another; as, a disease spreads into all parts of a city.

Sprēad, n.

noun

n. 1. Extent; compass. I have a fine spread of improvable land. Addison. 2. Expansion of parts. No flower has that spread of the woodbine. Bacon. 3. A cloth used as a cover for a table or a bed; a table, as spread or furnished with a meal. [Colloq.]