distribute

Etymology

PIE word *tréyes From Latin distributus, past participle of distribuere (“to divide, distribute”), from dis- (“apart”) + tribuere (“to give, impart”); see tribute.

verb

1. (transitive) To divide into portions and dispense.
   He distributed the bread amongst his followers.
2. (transitive) To supply to retail outlets.
   The agency distributes newspapers to local shops.
3. (transitive) To deliver or pass out.
   A network of children distributes flyers to every house.
   Above all, the 48-page timetables of the new service, which have been distributed free at every station in the scheme, are a model to the rest of B.R. For the first time on British Railways, so far as we are aware, a substantial timetable has been produced, not only without a single footnote but also devoid of all wearisome asterisks, stars, letter suffixes and other hieroglyphics. 1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 714
4. (transitive) To scatter or spread.
   I raked the soil then distributed grass seed.
5. (transitive) To apportion (more or less evenly).
   The robot's six legs distributed its weight over a wide area.
6. (transitive) To classify or separate into categories.
   The database distributed verbs into transitive and intransitive segments.
7. (intransitive, mathematics) To be distributive.
8. (printing) To separate (type which has been used) and return it to the proper boxes in the cases.
9. (printing) To spread (ink) evenly, as upon a roller or a table.
10. (logic) To employ (a term) in its whole extent; to take as universal in one premise.
    A term is said to be distributed when it is taken universal, so as to stand for everything it is capable of being applied to. 1826, Richard Whately, Elements of Logic
11. (business) To have employees working remotely from multiple locations.
    distributed business; distributed employee