spreader
spreader — noun
- spreadersingular
- spreadersplural
1. A vehicle fitted with equipment that scatters sand, lime, or seed over a wide ar
A vehicle fitted with equipment that scatters sand, lime, or seed over a wide area.
Tomás checked the calibration of the fertilizer spreader before the spring planting began.
fertilizer spreader — machine for spreading solid material
The city's salt spreader trucks went out before dawn to cover the icy roads.
salt spreader truck — vehicle for road de-icing
Liang watched the small seed spreader move slowly across the field dropping tiny seeds.
The old spreader held 500 kilograms of material and covered an acre in ten minutes.
- distributor
More general; can apply to any material, not just for spreading over an area
- broadcaster
Specifically a type of spreader that throws material in a wide arc; more technical
文法句型
spreader + noun (attributive)
spreader for + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Often used in compounds with the material being spread (e.g., 'fertilizer spreader', 'salt spreader', 'sand spreader'). The word is also used attributively before 'truck' or 'vehicle'.
常見錯誤
2. A hand-held kitchen tool, usually a blunt wide-bladed knife, used for putting so
A hand-held kitchen tool, usually a blunt wide-bladed knife, used for putting soft foods like butter, jam, or cheese onto bread or crackers.
Rania used a butter spreader to put a thin layer of jam on her toast.
butter spreader — blunt knife for soft spreads
A cheese spreader has a wide, flat blade for spreading soft cheese onto crackers.
cheese spreader — wide blade for soft cheese
Hannah wiped the chocolate spreader clean before putting it back in the drawer.
Devika used a butter spreader so a sharp knife would not tear the fresh bread.
- butter knife
The most common everyday term; 'spreader' is more specific to the wide, blunt design
- palette knife
A similar tool used for art; not used for food
文法句型
butter spreader
cheese spreader
spreader for + noun
用法筆記
Often specified by the substance used with it: 'butter spreader', 'cheese spreader', 'jam spreader'. The blade is intentionally blunt to avoid cutting the bread. This sense is distinct from sense 1 because the object is a hand-held kitchen tool, not machinery.
常見錯誤
3. A bar, wedge, or frame that keeps two ropes, cables, rails, or parts separated s
A bar, wedge, or frame that keeps two ropes, cables, rails, or parts separated so they do not touch or shift.
Railway workers installed a spreader to keep the two steel rails at the correct width.
rail spreader — keeps rails at fixed gauge
Ilan adjusted the cable spreader so the ropes under the bridge would not touch.
cable spreader — keeps ropes/lines separated
The surgeon placed a wound spreader to hold the edges of the cut apart.
Ada checked the spreader bar on the ladder to keep the side pieces firmly locked.
文法句型
cable spreader
rail spreader
spreader for + noun
spreader bar
用法筆記
Common in compound nouns specifying what is kept apart: 'cable spreader', 'rail spreader', 'wound spreader'. The function is to maintain separation, not to distribute material — this is the key distinction from senses 1 and 2.
4. A person who transmits a virus, bacterium, or other disease-causing organism to
A person who transmits a virus, bacterium, or other disease-causing organism to other people, especially without showing symptoms themselves.
A single infected traveler can become a super-spreader at crowded events, officials warned.
super-spreader — infects unusually many people
Ayana read an article about silent spreaders who carry the virus without ever feeling sick.
silent spreader — asymptomatic carrier
Scientists study why some become super-spreaders while others pass the illness to very few.
Lotte wore a mask on the train to avoid being a spreader during flu season.
- carrier
More clinical and neutral; may or may not imply active transmission
- vector
Medical term; can refer to animals or insects that transmit disease, not just humans
- transmitter
More technical; focuses on the act of passing the pathogen on
文法句型
super-spreader
silent spreader
spreader of + disease
用法筆記
Frequently used with the prefix 'super-' to describe individuals who infect a disproportionately large number of others. Also common in 'silent spreader' or 'asymptomatic spreader' for those who transmit a disease without symptoms. More commonly used in public health journalism than in clinical medical writing.