dilate

[dahy-leyt, dih-, dahy-leyt]

verb (used with object)

dilated, dilating 

1. to make wider or larger; cause to expand.

2. Archaic.,  to describe or develop at length.

verb (used without object)

dilated, dilating 

1. to spread out; expand.

2. to speak or write at length; expatiate (often followed by on orupon ).

dilate

/ ˌdaɪləˈteɪʃən, ˌdɪ-, daɪˈleɪt, dɪ-, daɪˈleɪtɪv, dɪ- /

verb

1. to expand or cause to expand; make or become wider or larger

   the pupil of the eye dilates in the dark

2. (intr; often foll by on or upon) to speak or write at length; expand or enlarge

Other Word Forms

• dilation noun
• dilatational adjective
• dilatable adjective
• dilatability noun
• dilative adjective
• nondilatability noun
• nondilatable adjective
• overdilate verb
• redilate verb
• self-dilated adjective
• subdilated adjective
• undilatable adjective
• undilated adjective
• undilating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dilate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dilaten, from Middle French dilater, “to comment at length, enlarge,” from Latin dīlātāre “to spread out, widen,” equivalent to dī- di- ² + lāt(us) “wide” + -āre infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of dilate¹

C14: from Latin dīlātāre to spread out, amplify, from dis- apart + lātus wide

Synonym Study

See expand.

Example Sentences

Then he looked into his eyes, which appeared dilated, and saw that his face was purple.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After she was released, she went to the hospital where doctors told her she had already dilated two centimeters.

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He had dilated pupils, a high heart rate, and had to be checked every 20 minutes until the plane arrived at Heathrow.

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"The doctor in the ring said her pupils were fixed and dilated when he saw her first and already there was a chance that brain damage had occurred," Weiler, now a professor, said.

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Her daughters Lucie and Isobel, now 16 and 10 respectively, have each had a heart transplant after being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the left ventricle becomes enlarged and weakened.

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Related Words

• expound