elongate

American  

[ih-lawng-geyt, ih-long-, ee-lawng-geyt, ee-long-] / ɪˈlɔŋ geɪt, ɪˈlɒŋ-, ˈi lɔŋˌgeɪt, ˈi lɒŋ- /

verb (used with object)

elongated, elongating

1. to draw out to greater length; lengthen; extend.

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verb (used without object)

elongated, elongating

1. to increase in length.

adjective

1. extended; lengthened.

2. long and thin.

elongate British  

/ ˈiːlɒŋɡeɪt /

verb

1. to make or become longer; stretch

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adjective

1. long and narrow; slender

   elongate leaves

2. lengthened or tapered

Other Word Forms

• elongative adjective
• subelongate adjective
• subelongated adjective
• unelongated adjective

Etymology

Origin of elongate

1530–40; < Late Latin ēlongātus lengthened out, past participle of ēlongāre to make longer, make distant, remove, equivalent to Latin ē- e- ¹ + -longāre, derivative of longus long ¹, longē far off

Example Sentences

Preserved in nearly perfect three-dimensional detail, the skeleton includes a skull with a huge eye socket and an elongated, sword-like snout.

From Science Daily

To achieve stronger performance, the team focused on "racetrack" resonators, which are named for their elongated loop shape that resembles a running track.

From Science Daily

Traditionally, skiers negotiate the steepest terrain of a course by feathering their skis at a slight diagonal and elongating their stride to help them conserve energy.

From The Wall Street Journal

They were prepared this time, elongating to avoid his antlers.

From Literature

Language’s capacity to elongate the self in time burdened us with anxiety and regret.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• draw out
• lengthen