Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - spread

 I. verb  (~; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English spreden, from Old English -spr?dan; akin to Old High German spreiten to ~  Date: 13th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to open or expand over a larger area ~ out the map  b. to stretch out ; extend ~ its wings for flight  2.  a. to distribute over an area ~ fertilizer  b. to distribute over a period or among a group ~ the work over a few weeks  c. to apply on a surface ~ butter on bread  d.  (1) to cover or overlay something with ~ the cloth on the table  (2) archaic to cover completely  e.  (1) to prepare or furnish for dining ; set ~ the table  (2) serve ~ the afternoon tea  3.  a. to make widely known ~ the news  b. to extend the range or incidence of ~ a disease  c. diffuse, emit flowers ~ing their fragrance  4. to push apart by weight or force  intransitive verb  1.  a. to become dispersed, distributed, or scattered  b. 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  • ~ability noun  • ~able adjective  II. noun  Date: 1626  1.  a. the act or process of ~ing  b. extent of ~ing  2. something ~ out: as  a. a surface area ; expanse  b.  (1) a ranch or homestead especially in the western United States  (2) West a herd of animals  c.  (1) a prominent display in a periodical  (2) two facing pages (as of a newspaper) usually with matter running across the fold; also the matter occupying these pages  3. something ~ on or over a surface: as  a. a food to be ~ (as on bread or crackers) a cheese ~  b. a sumptuous meal ; feast  c. a cloth cover for a table or bed  4. distance between two points ; gap  5. a commodities market transaction in which a participant hedges with simultaneous long and short options in different commodities or different delivery dates in the same commodity