spread / spred/ • v. (past and past part. spread) 1. [tr.] open out (something) so as to extend its surface area, width, or length: I spread a towel on the sand and sat down she helped Chris to spread out the map. ∎  stretch out (arms, legs, hands, fingers, or wings) so that they are far apart: the swan spread its wings.2. [no obj. , ] extend over a large or increasing area: she stood at the window looking at the town spread out below. ∎  (spread out) (of a group of people) move apart so as to cover a wider area: the Marines spread out across the docks. ∎  distribute or disperse (something) over a certain area: volcanic eruptions spread dust high into the stratosphere. ∎  gradually reach or cause to reach a larger and larger area or more and more people: [intr.] the violence spread from the city to the suburbs | [tr.] she's always spreading rumors about other people. ∎  (of people, animals, or plants) become distributed over a large or larger area: the owls have spread as far north as Yellowknife. ∎  distribute (something) in a specified way: you can spread the payments over as long a period as you like.3. apply (a substance) to an object or surface in an even layer: he sighed, spreading jam on a croissant. ∎  cover (a surface) with a substance in such a way: spread each slice thinly with mayonnaise. ∎  [no obj. , ] be able to be applied in such a way: the whipped butter spreads easily.4. [tr.] archaic lay (a table) for a meal.• n. 1. the fact or process of spreading over an area: the spread of AIDS the spread of the urban population into rural areas.2. the extent, width, or area covered by something: the male's antlers can attain a spread of six feet. ∎  the wingspan of a bird. ∎  an expanse or amount of something: the green spread of the park. ∎  a large farm or ranch.3. the range or variety of something: a wide spread of ages. ∎  the difference between two rates or prices: the very narrow spread between borrowing and deposit rates. ∎ short for point spread.4. a soft paste that can be applied in a layer to bread or other food.5. an article or advertisement covering several columns or pages of a newspaper or magazine, esp. one on two facing pages: a double-page spread. ∎  a bedspread.6. inf. a large and impressively elaborate meal.PHRASES: spread like wildfiresee wildfire.spread oneself too thin be involved in so many different activities or projects that one's time and energy are not used to good effect.spread one's wingssee wing.DERIVATIVES: spread·a·ble adj. (usu. in sense 3).

spread A pattern of geophone groups used simultaneously to record data from a single shot. Examples of spreads include in-line, offset, interlocking, L-spread, reversed, split-spread, and T-spread. See ARRAY.

spread pt., pp. spread stretch so as to display, send out in various directions XII; overlap with; be extended, become diffused XIII. OE. *sprǣdan (in comps. ā-. ġe-. ofer-, tōsprǣdan, and sprǣdung diffusion) = OS. tōspreidan, MLG., MDu. sprēden (Du. sprei(d)en), OHG, spreitan (G. spreiten) :- WGmc. *spraidjan, causative of *sprīdan, repr. by OHG. sprītan be extended.

Spread

an expanse or stretch of something; food collectively.

Examples : spread of boughs, 1701; of canvas, 1691; of knowledge, 1805; of favours; of sail, 1840.

spread See measures of variation.