expand

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: ex=pand
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in OT : 2 in 2 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

expand, v. t. [L. expandere, expansum; ex out + pandere to spread out, to throw open; perh. akin to E. patent. Cf. Spawn.].

•  To lay open by extending; to open wide; to spread out; to diffuse; as, a flower expands its leaves.  [1913 Webster]

  "Then with expanded wings he steers his flight."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause the particles or parts of to spread themselves or stand apart, thus increasing bulk without addition of substance; to make to occupy more space; to dilate; to distend; to extend every way; to enlarge; -- opposed to contract; as, to expand the chest; heat expands all bodies; to expand the sphere of benevolence.  [1913 Webster]
•  To state in enlarged form; to develop; as, to expand an equation. See Expansion, 5.  [1913 Webster]

expand, v. i. 

 To become widely opened, spread apart, dilated, distended, or enlarged; as, flowers expand in the spring; metals expand by heat; the heart expands with joy.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

expand, v.
1 tr. & intr. increase in size or bulk or importance.
2 intr. (often foll. by on) give a fuller description or account.
3 intr. become more genial or effusive; discard one's reserve.
4 tr. set or write out in full (something condensed or abbreviated).
5 tr. & intr. spread out flat.

Idiom

expanded metal sheet metal slit and stretched into a mesh, used to reinforce concrete and other brittle materials.

Derivative

expandable adj. expander n. expansible adj. expansibility n.

Etymology

ME f. L expandere expans- spread out (as EX-(1), pandere spread)

THESAURUS

expand

add to, adulterate, aggrandize, amplify, attenuate, augment, balloon, beef up, bloat, blow up, bolster, boost, branch, branch out, broaden, build, build up, bulk, bulk out, complete, crescendo, cut, deal in generalities, deepen, deploy, descant, detail, develop, dilate, dilute, discourse, disperse, distend, ecumenicize, elaborate, embellish, enlarge, enlarge upon, enter into detail, etherealize, evolve, exalt, expatiate, explicate, extend, fan, fan out, fatten, fill out, flare, generalize, globalize, go into, greaten, grow, heighten, hike, hike up, huff, increase, inflate, jack up, jump up, labor, lengthen, magnify, make a generalization, maximize, mount, multiply, mushroom, open, open up, outspread, outstretch, overgrow, overrun, parlay, particularize, prolong, protract, puff, puff up, pump, pump up, put up, pyramid, raise, ramify, rarefy, rehearse in extenso, relate at large, snowball, spell out, splay, spraddle, sprangle, sprawl, spread, spread like wildfire, spread out, stretch, subtilize, sufflate, swell, thicken, thin, thin out, tumefy, unfold, universalize, up, upsurge, vise, water, water down, wax, widen, work out

ROGET THESAURUS

expand

Diffuseness

VB be diffuse, run out on, descant, expatiate, enlarge, dilate, amplify, expand, inflate, launch out, branch out, rant, maunder, prose, harp upon, dwell on, insist upon, digress, ramble, battre la campagne, beat about the bush, perorate, spin a long yarn, protract, spin out, swell out, draw out, battologize.

Expansion

VB become larger &c (large), expand, widen, enlarge, extend, grow, increase, incrassate, swell, gather, fill out, deploy, take open order, dilate, stretch, distend, spread, mantle, wax, grow up, spring up, bud, bourgeon, shoot, sprout, germinate, put forth, vegetate, pullulate, open, burst forth, gain flesh, gather flesh, outgrow, spread like wildfire, overrun, be larger than, surpass, render larger &c (large), expand, spread, extend, aggrandize, distend, develop, amplify, spread out, widen, magnify, rarefy, inflate, puff, blow up, stuff, pad, cram, exaggerate, fatten, become larger &c (large), expand, widen, enlarge, extend, grow, increase, incrassate, swell, gather, fill out, deploy, take open order, dilate, stretch, distend, spread, mantle, wax, grow up, spring up, bud, bourgeon, shoot, sprout, germinate, put forth, vegetate, pullulate, open, burst forth, gain flesh, gather flesh, outgrow, spread like wildfire, overrun, be larger than, surpass, render larger &c (large), expand, spread, extend, aggrandize, distend, develop, amplify, spread out, widen, magnify, rarefy, inflate, puff, blow up, stuff, pad, cram, exaggerate, fatten.

Thickness,

VB be broad, become broad, render broad, expand, thicken, widen, calibrate.

Rarity

VB rarefy, expand, dilate, subtilize.