Webster's English Dictionary

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spread

1. spread \'spred\ vb or spread;  or spread.ing [ME spreden, fr. OE 
   spr-dan; akin to OHG spreiten] to spread, OE -spru-tan to sprout - 
   more at SPROUT 1a: to open or expand over a larger area {~ out the map}  
   1b: to stretch out : EXTEND  2a: SCATTER, STREW  2b: to distribute over a 
   period or among a group  2c: to apply on a surface {~ butter on bread}  
   2d1: to cover or overlay with  archaic  2d2: to cover completely  2e1: to 
   prepare or furnish for dining : SET {~ the table> 2e2: SERVE  3a: to make 
   widely known {~ the news}  3b: to extend the range or incidence of {~ a 
   disease}  3c: DIFFUSE, EMIT  4: to push apart by weight or force  1a: to 
   become dispersed, distributed, or scattered  1b: to become known or 
   disseminated {panic ~ rapidly}  2: to grow in length or breadth : EXPAND  
   3: to move apart (as from pressure or weight) : SEPARATE 
2. spread n 1a: the act or process of spreading  1b: extent of spreading  
   2: something spread out : as  2a: a surface area : EXPANSE  West  2b: RANCH 
    2c1: a prominent display in a periodical  2c2: two facing pages (as of a 
   newspaper) usu. with matter running across t he fold; also : the matter 
   occupying these pages 3: something spread on or over a surface : as  3a: a 
   food to be spread on bread or crackers  3b: a sumptuous meal : FEAST  3c: a 
   cloth cover for a table or bed  4: distance between two points : GAP