Dilate
/daɪˈleɪt/noun
To make or become wider, larger, or more open.
Did you know?Dilate comes from Latin *dilatare*, originally meaning “to spread out” or “extend,” from *dis-* (“apart”) + *latus* (“broad, wide”), a root family that also gave English words tied to width and breadth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plat-
“to spread, make broad”
Latin
Latin
lātus
“broad, wide”
Latin
Latin
dīlātāre
“to spread out, extend, enlarge”
Old French
OF
dilater
“to expand, enlarge”
Middle English
English
dilaten
“to enlarge, extend”
Modern English
English
dilate
“to make or become wider or more open”
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