[transitive] spread sth (out) (over sth) to separate sth into parts and divide them between different times or different people分次进行；（由若干人）分摊◆We attempted to spread the workload evenly between the two departments.我们试图把这一工作量均分给这两个部门。◆The payments are spread over a year.这些款项在一年内分次支付。◆We are diversifying into new products in order to spread the risk.我们正在通过经营多种新产品实行多元化以分散风险。 [intransitive, transitive] to affect or make sth affect, be known by, or used by more and more people传播；散布；流传◆The virus spread across the world in hours.这一病毒在数小时内传遍全世界。 [intransitive, transitive] (used with an adverb or a preposition 与副词或介词连用) to cover, or make sth cover, a large area遍布；延伸◆Our stores are spread throughout the country.我们的商店遍布全国。