📢 To share widely 🧈 To cover 📈 An increase 💲 A difference 🍽️ A big meal 📖 Two pages 🥪 A soft topping 🏞️ A large property 💻 To expand items 🛏️ A bed cover 🤗 Fully open

spread

12 1.1

A soft food used on bread, like butter or jam

noun
/sprɛd/

: untable

Martha, you make the most beautiful spreads.

You can make a peanut free spread with sunflower seeds.

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Examples

I would like a slice of your wonderful meat spread... and a piece of your best goat cheese.

Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Marmite and Vegemite are potent food spreads made from yeast extract.
That is a Mediterranean spread, honey.

The Change-Up (2011)
A large spread of food and soda is on the table.

Fiction book (1994)
It's a little spread your friend whipped up here.

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)
Followed by a thin spread of cheese for your garlic bread.

Waiting... (2005)
I'm going with the delicious ham spread.

Apollo 18 (2011)
It says it's cheese spread.

Dead Driver (2019)
She ate the entire salmon spread already.

Knives Out (2019)
I enjoyed the creamy garlic spread on my toast this morning.

Synonyms

peanut butter

vsspread

148 1.0

A thick smooth or crunchy spread you make from ground roasted nuts for bread

is the general category including this nut based sandwich ingredient

jam

vsspread

76 1.0

A sweet spread made by boiling crushed fruit with sugar

is the general category that includes this and other soft bread toppings

paste

vsspread

68 1.0

A thick soft mixture used as a food spread or glue

is the food category limited to soft mixtures for bread or for cooking

cream cheese

vsspread

40 1.0

A soft fresh cheese you spread on bread or crackers

is the broad category for soft bread toppings and similar ingredients

margarine

vsspread

20 1.0

A soft spread made from vegetable oil used instead of butter

is the general group that covers this and other soft bread toppings

apple butter

vsspread

3 2.1

A thick sweet spread from apples slowly cooked with sugar and spices until smooth

is the broader category for various soft bread or ingredient toppings

cheese spread

vsspread

1 1.0

A soft food made from cheese mixed with butter, cream, or spices to spread on bread

is the general class that covers this type of soft bread topping

schmear

vsspread

1 9.2

A layer of soft food like cream cheese on a bagel

is the common general term for any soft bread topping or ingredient

schmeer

vsspread

1 8.6

A soft spread put on bread or bagels

is the common general term covering all soft mixtures used on bread

strawberry preserves

vsspread

1 1.0

A sweet thick spread made from strawberries and sugar for bread or desserts

is the broader class including many types of soft bread toppings

preserves

vsspread

2.3

A sweet spread you make by cooking fruit with sugar, often with pieces of fruit left

is the broad category that includes this and other soft bread toppings

Idioms

to spread like wildfire

Informal

11 3.0

To become known by many people very quickly

to spread your wings

Informal

1 4.2

To start living on your own and try new things

to spread like stink on shit

Offensive

9.9

To spread bad news or rumors very quickly and be hard to stop

Compounds

cheese spread

1 1.0

A soft food made from cheese mixed with butter, cream, or spices to spread on bread

rapid spread

1 3.7

A fast increase that affects many people or places

spread-out

1 3.5

Arranged so they cover a wide area like papers fanned on a table

center spread

Jargon

1 3.9

Two pages in the middle of a magazine or newspaper showing a large photo

spread-eagle

1 7.2

With arms and legs stretched wide apart when lying down or in the air

middle-age spread

6.0

A gain of fat around the waist that happens in middle age

picnic spread

2.1

A selection of food like sandwiches and fruit laid out to eat outdoors

spread eagle

Jargon

8.3

A figure skating move with skates heel to heel and legs turned outward

spread eagle

7.5

An image of an eagle with wings and legs spread used on the United States seal

spread head

Jargon

9.5

A heading that goes across two facing pages in a book or magazine

spread-eagle jump

Specialized

7.5

A jump with arms and legs stretched out to the sides like an eagle

How Thick

jam

76 1.0

to butter

61 1.0

spread

12 1.1

honey

305 1.0

syrup

203 1.0

Surface Forms

spread singular

spreads plural

Etymology

Spread for a soft food comes from the action to 'spread' something on bread, from an old word meaning 'stretch'. So a peanut butter or cheese 'spread' is food you smear or stretch over bread.