distend
/dɪˈstɛnd/ verb
Forms distends distending distended
- verb (intransitive) To extend or expand, as from internal pressure; to swell
- verb (transitive, reflexive, archaic) To extend; to stretch out; to spread out.
- verb (transitive) To cause to swell.
- verb (biology) To cause gravidity.
Synonyms
Etymology
L. distendere, distentum, distensum; dis- + tendere to stretch, stretch out: cf. F. distendre to distend, détendre to unbend. See Tend, and cf. Detent.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To extend in some one direction; to lengthen out; to stretch. [R.]
- verb To stretch out or extend in all directions; to dilate; to enlarge, as by elasticity of parts; to inflate so as to produce tension; to cause to swell; as, to distend a bladder, the stomach, etc. The warmth distends the chinks. Dryden.
- verb To become expanded or inflated; to swell. "His heart distends with pride." Milton.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “distend”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details