spreading
/ˈspɹɛdɪŋ/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: spreadings
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The act by which something is spread.
Noun
Examples
Small numbers [of meadowlarks] remain on farms in the southern counties throughout the winter, usually relying on fresh manure spreadings for food when snow covers the fields.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
The act of spreading (speedreading).
Noun
Examples
Chief among the strategies exploiting this rule was "spreading" (a combination of "speed" and "reading"), where debaters would rattle off arguments at a blistering pace. Their speeches often exceeded 300 words per minute. (A conversational pace is about 60 per minute.)
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “spreading” mean?
The act by which something is spread.
Is “spreading” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.