spreading
Expanding in area
Spreading is the act of extending something over a surface or causing it to cover a wider area.
Butter spreads on bread; rumors spread through a community; disease spreads between people.
The word often implies gradual expansion outward from a point: the spreading branches of an oak, the spreading stain on the carpet.
A spreading can also describe a laying out or dispersal: the spreading of mulch, the spreading of one's wings.
Allocation across recipients
- circulationMovement through a system
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- broadcastTransmitted media signal
- diffusionPassive molecular spreading
transmission · sharing · communication · publication · promulgation · dispersal · reach · viral
Planting for cultivation
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- seedingPlanting or ranking
- broadcastingMass signal transmission
- scatteringDistribution in many directions
fertilizing · mulching · composting · tilling · manuring · top-dressing · germinating · cultivating
Increasing in extent
- extendingIncreasing in reach
- stretchingExtending muscles or material
- broadeningIncreasing in extent
- enlargementIncrease in size
growth · swelling · distension · dilatation · inflation · outward · fanning · radiating
Sending of information
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
virus · disease · contamination · pathogen · infectious · quarantine · incubation · symptoms
Seeds beginning growth
- buddingDeveloping from an outgrowth
- flourishingProspering vigorously
- proliferatingIncreasing rapidly in quantity
- thrivingSucceeding vigorously
blossoming · branching · rooting · germinating · leafing · creeping · climbing · rambling
distribution
Allocation across recipients
- circulationMovement through a system
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- broadcastTransmitted media signal
diffusion · transmission · sharing · communication · publication · promulgation · dispersal · reach · viral · word-of-mouth
sowing
Planting for cultivation
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- seedingPlanting or ranking
- broadcastingMass signal transmission
scattering · fertilizing · mulching · composting · tilling · manuring · top-dressing · germinating · cultivating
widening
Increasing in extent
- extendingIncreasing in reach
- stretchingExtending muscles or material
- broadeningIncreasing in extent
enlargement · growth · swelling · distension · dilatation · inflation · outward · fanning · radiating · sprawl
transmission
Sending of information
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
pandemic · virus · disease · contamination · pathogen · infectious · quarantine · incubation · symptoms · bacteria
sprouting
Seeds beginning growth
- buddingDeveloping from an outgrowth
- flourishingProspering vigorously
- proliferatingIncreasing rapidly in quantity
thriving · blossoming · branching · rooting · germinating · leafing · creeping · climbing · rambling · ground cover
smearing
Spreading by rubbing
slathering · daubing · applying · smoothing · plastering · lathering · icing · frosting · troweling · knife
- bakingbaking, bread baking, cake decorating, mixing, whisking
- arrangingarranging, organizing, ordering, positioning, placing
- deformingbending, twisting, warping, curving, folding
- disseminatingsharing, broadcasting, publishing, circulating, distributing
- fluid movementflowing, pouring, dripping, draining, oozing
- hand actionsgrabbing, grasping, gripping, holding, pinching
spreadingcontracting
Reducing in volume
shrinking · compressing · condensing · retracting · narrowing
spreadinggathering
Collection of people meeting
collecting · concentrating · consolidating · amassing · accumulating
spreadingcontaining
Holding within limits
suppressing · stopping · halting · checking · curbing
- spreading outExpanding across space
- spreading rumorsCirculating unverified talk
- spreading liesDistributing false information
- spreading wingsExtending flight appendages
- spreading germs
- spreading branches
spread, expand, expansion, widespread, spreads, expanded, expanding, spreader, spread out