spreader

noun

spread·​er ˈspre-dər 

: one that spreads: such as

a

: an implement for scattering material

b

: a small knife used especially for spreading butter

c

: a device (such as a bar) holding two linear elements (such as lines, guys, rails) apart and usually taut

Examples of spreader in a Sentence

Mosquito are spreaders of disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tulsi Gabbard, the completely unqualified conspiracy-spreader and ex-congresswoman, should never have been the director of national intelligence. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026

While they are typically sown by hand, they can also be planted with a broadcast spreader set on the lowest setting. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026

Shelves sagged under thick plastic fertilizer bags in a riot of colors, bottles of chemicals, grass seed, grass feed, weed killer, soil supplements, fungicides, hoses, fertilizer spreaders, mite killers, stakes, weed netting. —Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026

Studies of flies found on dairy farms and cattle ranches have shown that these insects are major spreaders of pathogens like salmonella, Moraxella bovis (pinkeye), and spreadable pathogens of bovine respiratory disease. —Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing spreader

• silent spreader
• super-spreader

Rhymes for spreader

• cheddar
• header
• redder
• shredder

Kids Definition

spreader

noun

spread·​er ˈspred-ər 

: one that spreads: as

a

: an implement for scattering material

b

: a small knife used especially for spreading butter