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center spread

center spread

1 3.9
Two pages in the middle of a magazine or newspaper showing a large photo
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛntər sprɛd/
  • Jargon
translation icon : doble página central

Examples

  • How's this for a center spread?

  • I just found out Elle is doing their center spread in the Venice canals.

  • The November 1998 issue of Harper's Magazine devoted its center spread to a commentary on how the word biosolids made it into the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The magazine featured a stunning photograph in its center spread that captivated all the readers.

  • For this issue, the center spread highlighted an article about climate change and its effects on wildlife.

  • In the center spread of the newspaper, there was a colorful infographic illustrating the election results.

Synonyms

centerfold
vscenter spread
  • US
16 6.8

A large picture printed across the two middle pages of a magazine

is the middle pair of pages not necessarily presented as a foldout

Surface Forms

center spread singular
centre spread singular

Morphology

center + spread

The meaning is directly compositional: 'center' = middle and 'spread' = a pair of facing pages, so a 'center spread' is simply a spread located in the center of a publication. This follows regular English noun–noun compounding and mirrors patterns in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Center spread: The compound noun center spread comes from a big picture or article that can spread across the two pages in the center of a magazine. Because it fills both pages that face each other in the middle, the phrase now means those two middle pages used for a special story or image.