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

Wild birds are the primary spreader of bird flu at this point, but the transfer to poultry poses some risks for other animals. —Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025

The holidays also fall during the spring migration, and wild birds are the biggest spreaders of the virus to egg laying flocks. —Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025

But others were quick to imply that the collision was no accident, rather part of an ongoing cover-up in a wide-ranging case that has long been fodder for conspiracy theorists and spreaders of misinformation. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025

This hindered cooling as the cache sat between the hot cores and the processor’s heat spreader. —Antony Leather, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing spreader

• silent spreader
• super-spreader

Rhymes for spreader

• cheddar
• header
• pedder
• 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