Widen
/ˈwaɪ.dən/noun
To make or become wider.
Did you know?“Widen” is built from the old adjective *wide* plus a verb-forming ending, showing how English can turn a description into a spell-like command to expand space.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
wīd
“wide, broad, spacious”
Old English
OE
-ian
“verb-forming suffix used to make actions from adjectives”
Middle English
ME
widenen
“to make wider; to grow wider”
Early Modern English
English
widen
“to become or make wider”
Modern English
English
widen
“to make or become wider”
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