expansion
/ɪkˈspænʃən/ noun
Forms expansions
- noun An act, process, or instance of expanding. “The expansion of metals and plastics in response to heat is well understood.”
- noun The fractional change in unit length per unit length per unit temperature change. “Look up the expansion of 1018 steel at stick welding temps and figure out how far this thing's gonna bend once we weld it up.”
- noun (building) A new addition. “My new office is in the expansion behind the main building.”
- noun A product to be used with a previous product. “This expansion requires the original game board.”
- noun That which is expanded; expanse; extended surface.
- noun (steam engines) The operation of steam in a cylinder after its communication with the boiler has been cut off, by which it continues to exert pressure upon the moving piston.
- noun The replacement of a short name (e.g., acronym, initialism, alphanumeric symbol, abbreviation) with the longer name that is synonymous with it, as when spelling out acronyms to ensure clarity for a general audience. “Expansion of acronyms is often helpful for nonexpert readers (anacronyms excluded).”
- noun The string of text thus substituted.
Synonyms
coefficient of thermal expansion annex enlargement elaboration expanding upon
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French expansion, from Latin expānsiō. By surface analysis, expand + -sion.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of expanding or spreading out; the condition of being expanded; dilation; enlargement.
- noun That which is expanded; expanse; extend surface; as the expansion of a sheet or of a lake; the expansion was formed of metal.
Etymology [L. expansio: cf. F. expansion.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “expansion”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details