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Verb: distribute  di'stri-byoot [N. Amer], di'stri-byoot or 'di-stri,byoot [Brit]
  1. Give or provide in small portions
    "distribute critical remarks to everyone present";
    - administer, mete out, deal, parcel out, lot, dispense, deal out, dish out, allot, dole out, mete, dole
     
  2. Disperse widely
    "The invaders distribute their language all over the country";
    - spread
     
  3. Release
    "The publisher wants to distribute the book in Asia"
     
  4. Give to several people
    "The teacher distributed the exams";
    - give out, hand out, pass out
     
  5. Cause to be distributed, e.g. to all relevant people, everyone on a list, etc.
    "This letter is being distributed among the faculty";
    - circulate, pass around, pass on
     
  6. Cause to become widely known
    "distribute a rumour";
    - circulate, circularize, circularise [Brit], disseminate, propagate, broadcast, spread, diffuse, disperse, pass around
     
  7. Spread throughout a given area
    "the function distributes the values evenly"
     
  8. Be distributed or spread, as in statistical analyses
    "Values distribute"
     
  9. Be mathematically distributive
     
  10. To arrange in a systematic order
    "distribute the chairs in the lecture hall";
    - stagger

Derived forms: distributed, distributes, distributing

See also: diffuse, dissipate, expand, spread out

Type of: air, arrange, bare, be, displace, exist, gift, give, move, present, publicise [Brit], publicize, scatter, set up, spread, spread out, transfer

Antonym: garner

Encyclopedia: Distribute