Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To spread or extend over the surface of.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To spread over; cover over.
  • To be scattered over.
  • To be spread or scattered about.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To be spread or scattered over.
  • transitive verb To spread over; to cover.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To spread over or across (something); to permeate, overrun.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb spread across or over

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English ofersprǣdan, corresponding to over- +‎ spread.

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Examples

  • Rain, sometimes quite heavy (especially from DC and to the east), will again overspread the metro region over the next several hours.

    Second wave of heavy rains advancing north Jason Samenow 2010

  • "Oh, mother, I never once dreamed of such presumption as to think of – of" – The youth paused and a deep blush again overspread his face.

    The Hidden Hand 1888

  • Gaul was again overspread with woods; and the animals, who were reserved for the use or pleasure of the lord, might ravage with impunity the fields of his industrious vassals.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

  • "Miss Massereene, I know," she smiles, looking at her, and letting a pleased expression overspread her features as she does so.

    Molly Bawn Margaret Wolfe Hamilton

  • The monk's pale face became livid, and a smile of so strange an expression overspread it, that Raoul, whose eyes were fixed upon him, felt an involuntary and unaccountable uneasiness.

    Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, Number 361, November, 1845. Various

  • Whenever she regarded it, the same intense and set expression overspread her countenance as that which at first had alarmed me.

    The Darrow Enigma Melvin Linwood Severy

  • "Guess we're in time for the big show all right," Buddie quietly remarked; and from that moment an expression overspread his countenance and a note crept into his voice I had not noticed there before.

    The Greater Love George T. McCarthy

  • Howat saw a curious expression overspread the other's countenance.

    The Three Black Pennys A Novel Joseph Hergesheimer 1917

  • Gustav looked as if he were going to throw himself into the battle again, and a sullen expression overspread his face; but then he began to sway like a tree chopped at the roots, and sank to the ground.

    Pelle the Conqueror — Volume 01 Martin Andersen Nex�� 1911

  • Gustav looked as if he were going to throw himself into the battle again, and a sullen expression overspread his face; but then he began to sway like a tree chopped at the roots, and sank to the ground.

    Pelle the Conqueror — Complete Martin Andersen Nex�� 1911

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