Spread vs. Sprinkle — What's the Difference?

Open out (something) so as to extend its surface area, width, or length

To scatter in drops or particles

Extend over a large or increasing area

To scatter drops or particles on

Apply (a substance) to an object or surface in an even layer

To intersperse with something as if by scattering

Lay (a table) for a meal.

To distribute or intersperse at random

The fact or process of spreading over an area

To scatter something in drops or particles.

The extent, width, or area covered by something

To fall or rain in small or infrequent drops.

The range or variety of something

The act of sprinkling.

A soft paste that can be applied in a layer to bread or other food

A light rainfall.

An article or advertisement covering several columns or pages of a newspaper or magazine, especially one on two facing pages

A small amount; a sprinkling.

A large and impressively elaborate meal

Sprinkles Small particles of candy sprinkled on ice cream as a topping.

A bedspread

(transitive) To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).

To open to a fuller extent or width; stretch

(transitive) To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.

To make wider the gap between; move farther apart

(intransitive) To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.

To distribute over a surface in a layer

(intransitive) To rain very lightly outside.

To cover with a layer

(transitive) To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

To distribute widely

A light covering with a sprinkled substance.

To make a wide or extensive arrangement of

A light rain shower.

To exhibit or display the full extent of

An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.

To cause to become widely seen or known; scatter or disseminate

A small hard piece of sugar and starch, or chocolate, used to decorate cakes etc.

To prepare (a table) for eating; set.

To scatter in small drops or particles, as water, seed, etc.

To arrange (food or a meal) on a table.

To scatter on; to disperse something over in small drops or particles; to besprinkle; as, to sprinkle the earth with water; to sprinkle a floor with sand.

To flatten (a rivet end, for example) by pounding.

To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

To be extended or enlarged

To scatter a liquid, or any fine substance, so that it may fall in particles.

To move over an area, be distributed, or be widely dispersed

To rain moderately, or with scattered drops falling now and then; as, it sprinkles.

To become known or prevalent over a wide area

To fly or be scattered in small drops or particles.

To be exhibited, displayed, or visible in broad or full extent

A small quantity scattered, or sparsely distributed; a sprinkling.

To become or admit of being distributed in a layer

A utensil for sprinkling; a sprinkler.

To become separated; be forced farther apart

A light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby

The act or process of spreading

The act of sprinkling or splashing water;

Dissemination, as of news; diffusion.

Distribute loosely;

An open area of land; an expanse.

Cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force;

A ranch, farm, or estate.

Rain gently;

The extent or limit to which something is or can be spread

Scatter with liquid; wet lightly;

A cloth covering for a bed, table, or other piece of furniture.

(Informal) An abundant meal laid out on a table.

A food to be spread on bread or crackers.

Two facing pages of a magazine, newspaper, or book, considered as a unit.

An article or advertisement running across two or more columns of a newspaper or magazine.

A difference, as between two figures or totals

A position taken in two or more options or futures contracts in order to profit from a change in their relative prices.

The difference between the price asked and bid for a particular security.

The difference in yields between two fixed-income securities, as between short-term and long-term bonds.

A number of points offered to equalize the chances of winning in a wager on a competition, usually between sports teams. Also called point spread.

Wingspread.

(transitive) To stretch out, open out (a material etc.) so that it more fully covers a given area of space.

(transitive) To extend (individual rays, limbs etc.); to stretch out in varying or opposing directions.

(transitive) To disperse, to scatter or distribute over a given area.

(intransitive) To proliferate; to become more widely present, to be disseminated.

(transitive) To disseminate; to cause to proliferate, to make (something) widely known or present.

(intransitive) To take up a larger area or space; to expand, be extended.

(transitive) To smear, to distribute in a thin layer.

(transitive) To cover (something) with a thin layer of some substance, as of butter.

To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions.

To open one’s legs, especially for sexual favours.

The act of spreading.

Something that has been spread.

(cartomancy) A layout, pattern or design of cards arranged for a reading.

An expanse of land.

A large tract of land used to raise livestock; a cattle ranch.

A piece of material used as a cover (such as a bedspread).

A large meal, especially one laid out on a table.

(bread, etc.) Any form of food designed to be spread, such as butters or jams.

(military) A set of multiple torpedoes launched on side-by-side, slowly-diverging paths toward one or more enemy ships.

Improvised by inmates from various ingredients to relieve the tedium of prison food.

An item in a newspaper or magazine that occupies more than one column or page.

Two facing pages in a book, newspaper etc.

A numerical difference.

The difference between the wholesale and retail prices.

The difference between the price of a futures month and the price of another month of the same commodity.

The purchase of a futures contract of one delivery month against the sale of another futures delivery month of the same commodity.

The purchase of one delivery month of one commodity against the sale of that same delivery month of a different commodity.

(trading) An arbitrage transaction of the same commodity in two markets, executed to take advantage of a profit from price discrepancies.

(trading) The difference between bidding and asking price.

(finance) The difference between the prices of two similar items.

(geometry) An unlimited expanse of discontinuous points.

The surface in proportion to the depth of a cut gemstone.

Excessive width of the trails of ink written on overly absorbent paper.

To extend in length and breadth, or in breadth only; to stretch or expand to a broad or broader surface or extent; to open; to unfurl; as, to spread a carpet; to spread a tent or a sail.

To extend so as to cover something; to extend to a great or greater extent in every direction; to cause to fill or cover a wide or wider space.

To divulge; to publish, as news or fame; to cause to be more extensively known; to disseminate; to make known fully; as, to spread a report; - often accompanied by abroad.

To propagate; to cause to affect great numbers; as, to spread a disease.

To diffuse, as emanations or effluvia; to emit; as, odoriferous plants spread their fragrance.

To strew; to scatter over a surface; as, to spread manure; to spread lime on the ground.

To prepare; to set and furnish with provisions; as, to spread a table.

To extend in length and breadth in all directions, or in breadth only; to be extended or stretched; to expand.

To be extended by drawing or beating; as, some metals spread with difficulty.

To be made known more extensively, as news.

To be propagated from one to another; as, the disease spread into all parts of the city.

Extent; compass.

Expansion of parts.

A cloth used as a cover for a table or a bed.

A table, as spread or furnished with a meal; hence, an entertainment of food; a feast.

A privilege which one person buys of another, of demanding certain shares of stock at a certain price, or of delivering the same shares of stock at another price, within a time agreed upon.

An unlimited expanse of discontinuous points.

An arbitrage transaction operated by buying and selling simultaneously in two separate markets, as Chicago and New York, when there is an abnormal difference in price between the two markets. It is called a back spreadwhen the difference in price is less than the normal one.

Surface in proportion to the depth of a cut stone.

Process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures;

Farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)

A haphazard distribution in all directions

A tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers

A meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed;

Two facing pages of a book or other publication

The expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age);

Decorative cover for a bed

Act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time

Distribute or disperse widely;

Become distributed or widespread;

Spread across or over;

Spread out or open from a closed or folded state;

Cause to become widely known;

Become widely known and passed on;

Strew or distribute over an area;

Move outward;

Cover by spreading something over;

Distribute over a surface in a layer;

Distributed or spread over a considerable extent;

Prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out;

Fully extended in width;