“spreadest” is a form of
spread
UK /spɹiːd/ · US /spɹid/ verb, noun
Forms spreads spreading
- verb (transitive) To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space. “He spread his newspaper on the table.”
- verb (transitive) To extend (individual rays, limbs etc.); to stretch out in varying or opposing directions. simple past and past participle of spread “I spread my arms wide and welcomed him home.”
- verb (transitive) To disperse, to scatter or distribute over a given area. “I spread the rice grains evenly over the floor.”
- verb (intransitive) To proliferate; to become more widely present, to be disseminated.
- verb (transitive) To disseminate; to cause to proliferate, to make (something) widely known or present. “The missionaries quickly spread their new message across the country.”
- verb (intransitive) To take up a larger area or space; to expand, be extended. “I dropped my glass; the water spread quickly over the tiled floor.”
- verb (transitive) To smear, to distribute in a thin layer. “She liked to spread butter on her toast while it was still hot.”
- verb (transitive) To cover (something) with a thin layer of some substance, as of butter. “He always spreads his toast with peanut butter and strawberry jam.”
- noun The act of spreading.
- noun Something that has been spread.
- noun (cartomancy) A layout, pattern or design of cards arranged for a reading.
- noun An expanse of land.
- noun A large tract of land used to raise livestock; a cattle ranch.
- noun A piece of material used as a cover (such as a bedspread).
- noun A large meal, especially one laid out on a table.
- noun (bread, etc.) Any form of food designed to be spread, such as butters or jams.
- verb (intransitive, transitive, debating slang) To speedread; to recite one's arguments at an extremely fast pace.
- noun (debating slang) An act or instance of spreading (speedreading).
Synonyms
sow suffuse pervade sweep disseminate circulate propagate diffuse put about swole straddle spreading gap ranch cattle ranch cattle farm scatter paste banquet feast spread head spreadhead facing pages bedspread bedcover bed cover bed covering counterpane distribute overspread
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English spreden, from Old English sprǣdan (“to spread, expand”), from Proto-Germanic *spraidijaną (“to spread”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per- (“to strew, sow, sprinkle”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian spreede (“to spread”), West Frisian spriede (“to spread”), North Frisian spriedjen (“to spread”), Dutch spreiden (“to spread”), Low German spreden (“to spread”), German spreiten (“to spread, spread out”), Danish sprede (“to spread”), Norwegian spre, spreie (“to spread, disseminate”), Swedish sprida (“to spread”), Latin spernō, spargō, Ancient Greek σπείρω (speírō), Persian سپردن (sepordan, “to deposit”). Doublet of spurn.
Blend of speed + read.
Webster’s 1913
- verb 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.
- verb To extend so as to cover something; to extend to a great or grater extent in every direction; to cause to fill or cover a wide or wider space.
- verb To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in breadth only; to be extended or stretched; to expand.
- verb To be extended by drawing or beating; as, some metals spread with difficulty.
Etymology [OE. spreden, AS. sprædan; akin to D. spreiden, spreijen, LG. spreden, spreen, spreien, G. spreiten, Dan. sprede, Sw. sprida. Cf. Spray water flying in drops.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “spread”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details