Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Spread \Spread\, n.
   1. An arbitrage transaction operated by buying and selling
      simultaneously in two separate markets, as Chicago and New
      York, when there is an abnormal difference in price
      between the two markets. It is called a

   {back spread}when the difference in price is less than the
      normal one.

   2. (Gems) Surface in proportion to the depth of a cut stone.

Spread \Spread\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spread}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Spreading}.] [OE. spreden, AS. spr[ae]dan; akin to D.
   spreiden, spreijen, LG. spreden, spreen, spreien, G.
   spreiten, Dan. sprede, Sw. sprida. Cf. {Spray} water flying
   in drops.]
   1. 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.

            He bought a parcel of a field where he had spread
            his tent.                             --Gen. xxxiii.
                                                  19.

            Here the Rhone Hath spread himself a couch. --Byron.

   2. 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.

            Rose, as in a dance, the stately trees, and spread
            Their branches hung with copious fruit. --Milton.

   3. To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be
      more extensively known; to disseminate; to make known
      fully; as, to spread a report; -- often acompanied by
      abroad.

            They, when they were departed, spread abroad his
            fame in all that country.             --Matt. ix.
                                                  31.

   4. To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to
      spread a disease.

   5. To diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; to emit; as,
      odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.

   6. To strew; to scatter over a surface; as, to spread manure;
      to spread lime on the ground.

   7. To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to
      spread a table.

            Boiled the flesh, and spread the board. --Tennyson.

   {To spread cloth}, to unfurl sail. [Obs.] --Evelyn.

   Syn: To diffuse; propogate; disperse; publish; distribute;
        scatter; circulate; disseminate; dispense.

Spread \Spread\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spread}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Spreading}.] [OE. spreden, AS. spr[ae]dan; akin to D.
   spreiden, spreijen, LG. spreden, spreen, spreien, G.
   spreiten, Dan. sprede, Sw. sprida. Cf. {Spray} water flying
   in drops.]
   1. 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.

            He bought a parcel of a field where he had spread
            his tent.                             --Gen. xxxiii.
                                                  19.

            Here the Rhone Hath spread himself a couch. --Byron.

   2. 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.

            Rose, as in a dance, the stately trees, and spread
            Their branches hung with copious fruit. --Milton.

   3. To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be
      more extensively known; to disseminate; to make known
      fully; as, to spread a report; -- often acompanied by
      abroad.

            They, when they were departed, spread abroad his
            fame in all that country.             --Matt. ix.
                                                  31.

   4. To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to
      spread a disease.

   5. To diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; to emit; as,
      odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.

   6. To strew; to scatter over a surface; as, to spread manure;
      to spread lime on the ground.

   7. To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to
      spread a table.

            Boiled the flesh, and spread the board. --Tennyson.

   {To spread cloth}, to unfurl sail. [Obs.] --Evelyn.

   Syn: To diffuse; propogate; disperse; publish; distribute;
        scatter; circulate; disseminate; dispense.

Spread \Spread\,
   imp. & p. p. of {Spread}, v.

   {Spread eagle}.
   (a) An eagle with outspread wings, the national emblem of the
       United States.
   (b) The figure of an eagle, with its wings elevated and its
       legs extended; often met as a device upon military
       ornaments, and the like.
   (c) (Her.) An eagle displayed; an eagle with the wings and
       legs extended on each side of the body, as in the
       double-headed eagle of Austria and Russia. See
       {Displayed}, 2.

Spread \Spread\, v. i.
   1. To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in
      breadth only; to be extended or stretched; to expand.

            Plants, if they spread much, are seldom tall.
                                                  --Bacon.

            Governor Winthrop, and his associates at
            Charlestown, had for a church a large, spreading
            tree.                                 --B. Trumbull.

   2. To be extended by drawing or beating; as, some metals
      spread with difficulty.

   3. To be made known more extensively, as news.

   4. To be propagated from one to another; as, the disease
      spread into all parts of the city. --Shak.

Spread \Spread\, n.
   1. Extent; compass.

            I have got a fine spread of improvable land.
                                                  --Addison.

   2. Expansion of parts.

            No flower hath spread like that of the woodbine.
                                                  --Bacon.

   3. A cloth used as a cover for a table or a bed.

Source : WordNet®

spread
     adj 1: distributed or spread over a considerable extent; "has ties
            with many widely dispersed friends"; "eleven million
            Jews are spread throughout Europe" [syn: {dispersed}]
     2: prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set
        out; "a table spread with food"
     3: fully extended in width; "outspread wings"; "with arms
        spread wide" [syn: {outspread}]

spread
     n 1: process or result of distributing or extending over a wide
          expanse of space [syn: {spreading}]
     2: a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two
        figures; "gap between income and outgo"; "the spread
        between lending and borrowing costs" [syn: {gap}]
     3: farm consisting of a large tract of land along with
        facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
        [syn: {ranch}, {cattle ranch}, {cattle farm}]
     4: a haphazard distribution in all directions [syn: {scatter}]
     5: a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers [syn: {paste}]
     6: a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed; "a banquet
        for the graduating seniors"; "the Thanksgiving feast";
        "they put out quite a spread" [syn: {banquet}, {feast}]
     7: two facing pages of a book or other publication [syn: {spread
        head}, {spreadhead}, {facing pages}]
     8: the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle
        age); "she exercised to avoid that middle-aged spread"
     9: decorative cover for a bed [syn: {bedspread}, {bedcover}, {bed
        cover}, {bed covering}, {counterpane}]
     10: act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or
         time [syn: {spreading}]

spread
     v 1: distribute or disperse widely; "The invaders spread their
          language all over the country" [syn: {distribute}] [ant:
           {gather}]
     2: become distributed or widespread; "the infection spread";
        "Optimism spread among the population" [syn: {propagate}]
     3: spread across or over; "A big oil spot spread across the
        water" [syn: {overspread}]
     4: spread out or open from a closed or folded state; "open the
        map"; "spread your arms" [syn: {unfold}, {spread out}, {open}]
        [ant: {fold}]
     5: cause to become widely known; "spread information";
        "circulate a rumor"; "broadcast the news" [syn: {circulate},
         {circularize}, {circularise}, {distribute}, {disseminate},
         {propagate}, {broadcast}, {diffuse}, {disperse}, {pass
        around}]
     6: become widely known and passed on; "the rumor spread"; "the
        story went around in the office" [syn: {go around}, {circulate}]
     7: strew or distribute over an area; "He spread fertilizer over
        the lawn"; "scatter cards across the table" [syn: {scatter},
         {spread out}]
     8: move outward; "The soldiers fanned out" [syn: {diffuse}, {spread
        out}, {fan out}]
     9: cover by spreading something over; "spread the bread with
        cheese"
     10: distribute over a surface in a layer; "spread cheese on a
         piece of bread"