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A kind of pudding made of paste spread with fruit, rolled into a cylindrical form, and boiled or steamed. -- a.

, by a root; hence, in general, to become planted, fixed, or established; to increase and spread; as, an opinion takes root. "The bended twigs take root." Milton.

Having the parts spreading out like a wheel; wheel-shaped; as, a rotate spicule or scale; a rotate corolla, i.e., a monopetalous corolla with a flattish border, and no tube or a very short one.

To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. The smoothed plank, . . . New rubbed with balm. Milton.

the collar of this name. I reared this flower; . . . Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I spread. Pope.

A teller of news; especially, one who spreads false reports. Shak.

To proceed along a surface; to extend; to spread. The fire ran along upon the ground. Ex. ix. 23.

One who satirizes; especially, one who writes satire. The mighty satirist, who . . . had spread through the Whig ranks. Macaulay.

To scatter; to spread. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Scarcely; hardly; barely. Scantly they durst their feeble eyes dispread Upon that town. Fairfax. We hold a tourney here to-morrow morn, And there is scantly time for half the work. Tennyson.

Dispersed; dissipated; sprinkled, or loosely spread.

To be driven swiftly, or to run, before a gale, with little or no sail spread.

e safe; to relieve from apprehensions of, or exposure to, danger; to guard; to protect. I spread a cloud before the victor's sight, Sustained the vanquished, and secured his flight. Dryden.

To sow; to spread; to propagate. [R.] Waterhouse.

The act of sowing or spreading. [R.]

An instrument used for spreading apart the threads of the warp in the loom, etc.

To extend and bring into position; to spread; as, to set the sails of a ship.

leep under a fresh tree's shade. Shak. Let the arched knife well sharpened now assail the spreading shades of vegetables. J. Philips.

Abounding in shade or shades; overspread with shade; causing shade. The shady trees cover him with their shadow. Job. xl. 22. And Amaryllis fills the shady groves. Dryden.

good will, agreement, etc. -- To shake out a reef (Naut.), to untile the reef points and spread more canvas. -- To shake the bells. See under Bell. -- To shake the sails (Naut.), to luff up in the wind, causing the sails to shiver. Ham. Nav. Encyc.