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

Possible natural reason During a call with U.S. doctors this month, one CDC official noted there is a seasonality to bird flu: Cases peak in the fall and early winter, possibly due to the migration patterns of wild birds that are primary spreaders of the virus. —CBS News, 19 May 2025

Below find our go-to products used to renovate our yard, including a Craftsman reel mower, a Fiskars shovel that’s backed by more than 3,800 five-star ratings, and a Scotts seed spreader. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 3 May 2025

Using a farm spreader, the dust is sprinkled over millions of acres of farmland in a 1-millimeter depth. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025

Some of these picks fly solo—like the Sabre cheese knife from Porta—while others come in a full set, like the always-whimsical cheese spreader set from Mackenzie-Childs. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 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