farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
"The old family spread stretched across fifty acres and was perfect for raising their herd of cattle."
two facing pages of a book or other publication
"He flipped to an old atlas and studied the map spread before him."
the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age)
"she exercised to avoid that middle-aged spread"
decorative cover for a bed
"She bought a new floral spread to cover her guest room bed before visitors arrive."
The act of spreading.
"He carefully spread the butter across the warm toast before taking a bite."
In plain English: A spread is an area of open space between things or people.
"The spread of butter on my toast was just enough to cover the bread."
distribute or disperse widely
"The invaders spread their language all over the country"
spread out or open from a closed or folded state
"open the map"
"spread your arms"
cause to become widely known
"spread information"
"circulate a rumor"
"broadcast the news"
strew or distribute over an area
"He spread fertilizer over the lawn"
"scatter cards across the table"
To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space.
"She spread the quilt across the floor to create a warm place for the kittens to rest."
In plain English: To spread is to open something up so it covers a larger area.
"She spread butter on her toast."
Usage: Use spread to describe opening or flattening something like butter on bread or fabric across a surface. Avoid using this verb for abstract concepts such as ideas or emotions unless you are specifically referring to their physical manifestation in writing or art.
The word "spread" comes from the Old English verb sprǣdan, which originally meant to spread or expand. It traveled into modern English through Middle English while retaining its core meaning of extending over an area.