spreads

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of spread.

   A skilled plasterer spreads the mixture in smooth, even layers.

   Rumor spreads through a small town faster than any newspaper.

   Note

   An irregular verb whose present-tense -s is its only visible change: the past and past participle are simply spread, never spreaded. The form works both ways. It can take an object, as when someone spreads plaster or a cloth, or stand alone, as when a rumor or a stain spreads by itself.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of spread.

   The deli offers several savory spreads alongside its fresh-baked bread.

   Bookmakers adjusted their point spreads as game day approached.

   Note

   One plural covers a scattered family of nouns: pastes on a deli counter, cards laid out for a reading, ranches and open expanses of land, and covers such as bedspreads. When the noun means the act of spreading, as in the spread of a fire, it is usually uncountable and seldom takes this plural. In practice, spreads almost always means several separate things.

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