Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to make wider or larger; cause to expand.
2.
Archaic. to describe or develop at length.
verb (used without object)
3.
to spread out; expand.
4.
to speak or write at length; expatiate (often followed by on or upon).
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Dilate
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English dilaten < Middle French dilater, Latin dīlātāre to spread out, equivalent to dī- di-2 + lāt(us) broad + -āre infinitive suffix
1350–1400; Middle English dilaten < Middle French dilater, Latin dīlātāre to spread out, equivalent to dī- di-2 + lāt(us) broad + -āre infinitive suffix
Related forms
di·lat·a·bil·i·ty, noun
di·lat·a·ble, adjective
non·di·lat·a·bil·i·ty, noun
non·di·lat·a·ble, adjective
o·ver·di·late, verb, -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
EXPANDre·di·late, verb, -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
self-di·lat·ed, adjective
sub·di·lat·ed, adjective
un·di·lat·a·ble, adjective
un·di·lat·ed, adjective
un·di·lat·ing, adjective
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To dilate
Example Sentences
- Histamine is produced by the human body to dilate blood vessels.
- When a red blood cell reaches any tissue in need of oxygen it releases nitric oxide in order to dilate the capillaries.
- The pain neurons, in turn, release brain chemicals that cause blood vessels to dilate and inflame.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dilate
late 14c., from O.Fr. dilater, from L. dilatare "make wider, enlarge," from dis- "apart" + latus "wide" (see latitude). Related: Dilated.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
dilate di·late (dī-lāt', dī'lāt')
v. di·lat·ed, di·lat·ing, di·lates
To make or become wider or larger.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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