Spread, imp. & p. p. of Spread, v.
Spread eagle. (a) An eagle with outspread wings, the national emblem of
the United States. (b) The figure of an eagle, with its wings elevated
and its legs extended; often met as a device upon military ornaments,
and the like. (c) (Her.) An eagle displayed; an eagle with the wings
and legs extended on each side of the body, as in the double-headed
eagle of Austria and Russia. See Displayed, 2.
Spread"-ea`gle (?), a. Characterized by a pretentious, boastful,
exaggerated style; defiantly or extravagantly bombastic; as, a
spread-eagle orator; a spread-eagle speech. [Colloq.& Humorous]
Spread"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, spreads, expands, or
propogates.
2. A machine for combining and drawing fibers of flax to form a sliver
preparatory to spinning.
Spread"ing*ly, adv. Increasingly.
The best times were spreadingly infected.
Milton.
Sprech"er*y (?), n. [Cf. Gael. spreidh cattle.] Movables of an inferior
description; especially, such as have been collected by depredation.
[Scot.]
Spree (?), n. [Cf. Ir. spre a spark, animation, spirit, Gael. spraic.
Cf. Sprack.] A merry frolic; especially, a drinking frolic; a carousal.
[Colloq.]
Sprenge (?), v. t. [OE. sprengen, p. p. sprent, spreint, from AS.
sprengen to sprinkle. See Sprinkle.] To sprinkle; to scatter. [Obs.]
Wyclif (1 Pet. i. 2).
Spreng"el pump` (?). (Physics) A form of air pump in which exhaustion
is produced by a stream of mercury running down a narrow tube, in the
manner of an aspirator; -- named from the inventor.
Sprent (?), obs. p. p. of Sprenge. Sprinkled.
All the ground with purple blood was sprent.
Spenser.