spread
    adj 1: distributed or spread over a considerable extent; "has
           ties with many widely dispersed friends"; "eleven million
           Jews are spread throughout Europe" [syn: dispersed,
           spread]
    2: prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set
       out; "a table spread with food"
    3: fully extended in width; "outspread wings"; "with arms spread
       wide" [syn: outspread, spread]
    n 1: process or result of distributing or extending over a wide
         expanse of space [syn: spread, spreading]
    2: a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures;
       "gap between income and outgo"; "the spread between lending
       and borrowing costs" [syn: gap, spread]
    3: farm consisting of a large tract of land along with
       facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
       [syn: ranch, spread, cattle ranch, cattle farm]
    4: a haphazard distribution in all directions [syn: scatter,
       spread]
    5: a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in
       preparing other dishes [syn: spread, paste]
    6: a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed; "a banquet
       for the graduating seniors"; "the Thanksgiving feast"; "they
       put out quite a spread" [syn: banquet, feast, spread]
    7: two facing pages of a book or other publication [syn:
       spread, spread head, spreadhead, facing pages]
    8: the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age);
       "she exercised to avoid that middle-aged spread"
    9: decorative cover for a bed [syn: bedspread, bedcover,
       bed cover, bed covering, counterpane, spread]
    10: act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or
        time [syn: spread, spreading]
    v 1: distribute or disperse widely; "The invaders spread their
         language all over the country" [syn: spread,
         distribute] [ant: collect, garner, gather, pull
         together]
    2: become distributed or widespread; "the infection spread";
       "Optimism spread among the population" [syn: spread,
       propagate]
    3: spread across or over; "A big oil spot spread across the
       water" [syn: spread, overspread]
    4: spread out or open from a closed or folded state; "open the
       map"; "spread your arms" [syn: unfold, spread, spread
       out, open] [ant: fold, fold up, turn up]
    5: cause to become widely known; "spread information";
       "circulate a rumor"; "broadcast the news" [syn: circulate,
       circularize, circularise, distribute, disseminate,
       propagate, broadcast, spread, diffuse, disperse,
       pass around]
    6: become widely known and passed on; "the rumor spread"; "the
       story went around in the office" [syn: go around, spread,
       circulate]
    7: strew or distribute over an area; "He spread fertilizer over
       the lawn"; "scatter cards across the table" [syn: spread,
       scatter, spread out]
    8: move outward; "The soldiers fanned out" [syn: diffuse,
       spread, spread out, fan out]
    9: cover by spreading something over; "spread the bread with
       cheese"
    10: distribute over a surface in a layer; "spread cheese on a
        piece of bread"

Spread \Spread\, v. i.
   1. To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in
      breadth only; to be extended or stretched; to expand.
      [1913 Webster]

            Plants, if they spread much, are seldom tall.
                                                  --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

            Governor Winthrop, and his associates at
            Charlestown, had for a church a large, spreading
            tree.                                 --B. Trumbull.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To be extended by drawing or beating; as, some metals
      spread with difficulty.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To be made known more extensively, as news.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To be propagated from one to another; as, the disease
      spread into all parts of the city. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

Spread \Spread\ (spr[e^]d), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spread; p. pr.
   & vb. n. Spreading.] [OE. spreden, AS. spraedan; akin to D.
   spreiden, spreijen, LG. spreden, spreen, spreien, G.
   spreiten, Dan. sprede, Sw. sprida. Cf. Spray water flying
   in drops.]
   1. To extend in length and breadth, or in breadth only; to
      stretch or expand to a broad or broader surface or extent;
      to open; to unfurl; as, to spread a carpet; to spread a
      tent or a sail.
      [1913 Webster]

            He bought a parcel of a field where he had spread
            his tent.                             --Gen. xxxiii.
                                                  19.
      [1913 Webster]

            Here the Rhone
            Hath spread himself a couch.          --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To extend so as to cover something; to extend to a great
      or greater extent in every direction; to cause to fill or
      cover a wide or wider space.
      [1913 Webster]

            Rose, as in a dance, the stately trees, and spread
            Their branches hung with copious fruit. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be
      more extensively known; to disseminate; to make known
      fully; as, to spread a report; -- often accompanied by
      abroad.
      [1913 Webster]

            They, when they were departed, spread abroad his
            fame in all that country.             --Matt. ix.
                                                  31.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to
      spread a disease.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; to emit; as,
      odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. To strew; to scatter over a surface; as, to spread manure;
      to spread lime on the ground.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to
      spread a table.
      [1913 Webster]

            Boiled the flesh, and spread the board. --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

   To spread cloth, to unfurl sail. [Obs.] --Evelyn.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: To diffuse; propagate; disperse; publish; distribute;
        scatter; circulate; disseminate; dispense.
        [1913 Webster]

Spread \Spread\,
   imp. & p. p. of Spread, v.
   [1913 Webster]

   Spread eagle.
   (a) An eagle with outspread wings, the national emblem of the
       United States.
   (b) The figure of an eagle, with its wings elevated and its
       legs extended; often met as a device upon military
       ornaments, and the like.
   (c) (Her.) An eagle displayed; an eagle with the wings and
       legs extended on each side of the body, as in the
       double-headed eagle of Austria and Russia. See
       Displayed, 2.
       [1913 Webster]

Spread \Spread\, n.
   1. Extent; compass.
      [1913 Webster]

            I have got a fine spread of improvable land.
                                                  --Addison.
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   2. Expansion of parts.
      [1913 Webster]

            No flower hath spread like that of the woodbine.
                                                  --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A cloth used as a cover for a table or a bed.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A table, as spread or furnished with a meal; hence, an
      entertainment of food; a feast. [Colloq.]
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A privilege which one person buys of another, of demanding
      certain shares of stock at a certain price, or of
      delivering the same shares of stock at another price,
      within a time agreed upon. [Brokers' Cant]
      [1913 Webster]

   6. (Geom.) An unlimited expanse of discontinuous points.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. (Finance) An arbitrage transaction operated by buying and
      selling simultaneously in two separate markets, as Chicago
      and New York, when there is an abnormal difference in
      price between the two markets. It is called a

   back spreadwhen the difference in price is less than the
      normal one.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   8. (Gems) Surface in proportion to the depth of a cut stone.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

SPREAD
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