dilate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   become wider

   The optician dilated my pupils.

2. 2
   verb

   To enlarge; to make bigger.

   The eye doctor put drops in my eye to dilate the pupil so he could see the nerve better.

3. 3
   verb

   To become wider or larger; to expand.

   His heart dilates and glories in his strength.

4. 4
   verb

   To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; with "on" or "upon".

   Do me the favour to dilate at full / What hath befallen of them and thee till now.

First attested in 1399, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dilaten (“to delay, tarry”), borrowed from Latin dīlātus, perfect passive participle of Latin dīfferō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)). If so, Doublet of defer and differ; see also infer, relate and refer, collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prefer and prelate among others. Alternatively, from Latin dīlātō, see Etymology 1.

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