dilate

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: di=late

OXFORD DICTIONARY

dilate, v.
1 tr. & intr. make or become wider or larger (esp. of an opening in the body) (dilated pupils).
2 intr. (often foll. by on, upon) speak or write at length.

Derivative

dilatable adj. dilation n.

Etymology

ME f. OF dilater f. L dilatare spread out (as DI-(2), latus wide)

THESAURUS

dilate

add to, aggrandize, amplify, augment, bag, balloon, belly, belly out, bilge, billow, bloat, blow up, bouge, broaden, bug, build, build up, bulge, bulk, bulk out, crescendo, descant, describe, detail, develop, discuss, dissert, dissertate, distend, elaborate, enlarge, enlarge upon, evolve, expand, expatiate, explicate, extend, fill out, goggle, greaten, hike, hike up, huff, increase, inflate, lengthen, magnify, narrate, particularize, pooch, pop, pouch, pout, prolong, protract, puff, puff up, pump, pump up, raise, rarefy, recite, recount, rehearse, rehearse in extenso, relate, relate at large, round out, sermonize, snowball, stretch, sufflate, swell, swell out, tumefy, unfold, up, widen, work out

ROGET THESAURUS

dilate

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.

Increase

VB increase, augment, add to, enlarge, dilate, grow, wax, get ahead, gain strength, advance, run up, shoot up, rise, ascend, sprout, aggrandize, raise, exalt, deepen, heighten, strengthen, intensify, enhance, magnify, redouble, aggravate, exaggerate, exasperate, exacerbate, add fuel to the flame, oleum addere camino, superadd, spread.

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.

Rarity

VB rarefy, expand, dilate, subtilize.