To attempt to do too many things at once, resulting in reduced effectiveness or quality in all areas. Implies overextension of one's time, energy, or resources across multiple commitments.
Comes from the literal spreading of substances like butter or paint - the more area you try to cover with the same amount, the thinner and less effective the coverage becomes. This metaphorical application to human effort emerged in the early 1900s.
This phrase captures a fundamental principle of physics and psychology - energy and attention are finite resources that follow conservation laws. Modern research on multitasking confirms the wisdom of this old metaphor: spreading attention too thin actually reduces overall productivity and increases errors.
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