# spreading

Pronunciation: US say "SPRED-ing" /ˈspɹɛdɪŋ/; UK

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of spread. — present participle and gerund of spread
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of spread. Use it for an action happening now or as a noun for that action.
   - _Rumors were spreading through the village before nightfall._
   - _Spreading the blanket over the grass took only a moment._

## Noun

2. The act of distributing or extending something so that it covers a larger area.
   - Simple: The act of moving something out so it covers a wider area.
   - _The spreading of false rumors badly damaged her reputation._
   - _Officials worked through the night to limit the spreading of the infection._
3. In competitive debate, the act of speaking extremely quickly to present as many arguments as possible within a time limit.
   - Simple: Talking very fast in a debate to make as many points as you can in your time.
   - _His spreading overwhelmed the other team, who dropped half of the arguments._
   - _Coaches still argue over whether spreading helps or hurts the activity._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2** — Formed from "spread" plus the suffix "-ing".
**Meaning 3** — A blend of the words "speed" and "reading".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/spreading (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).