dilator

or di·lat·er

[ dahy-ley-ter, dih-, dahy-ley- ]

/ daɪˈleɪ tər, dɪ-, ˈdaɪ leɪ- /

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noun

Anatomy. a muscle that dilates some cavity of the body.

Surgery. an instrument for dilating body canals, orifices, or cavities.

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Origin of dilator

First recorded in 1595–1605; dilate + -or²

Words nearby dilator

dilate, dilation, dilation and extraction, dilative, dilatometer, dilator, dilatory, Dilaudid, dildo, dilemma, dilettante

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dilator in a sentence

Sterilized vaseline or glycerine of perchloride of mercury may be smeared over the point of the dilator to facilitate its passage.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
This shoe is also provided with bar-clips, and forcibly expanded at the heels by means of a dilator.
Diseases of the Horse's Foot|Harry Caulton Reeks
The only difficulty which may be experienced is in entering the dilator into the punctum, owing to the small size of the latter.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
This is reassuring to the surgeon, and at this point the dilator should be introduced and the ansthetic abandoned.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

This leaden dilator is referred to over and over again by Hippocrates.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times|John Stewart Milne

British Dictionary definitions for dilator

dilator

dilater dilatator (ˌdaɪləˈteɪtə, ˌdɪ-)

/ (daɪˈleɪtə, dɪ-) /

noun

something that dilates an object, esp a surgical instrument for dilating a bodily cavity

a muscle that expands an orifice or dilates an organ

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012