Distend: meaning, definitions and examples

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distend

[ dɪˈstɛnd ]

^{Context #1}

medical

To cause to expand by or as if by internal pressure; to swell.

Synonyms

expand, inflate, swell

Examples of usage

He could feel his stomach begin to distend after eating too much.
The balloon distended as more air was pumped into it.

^{Context #2}

general

To stretch or expand the scope, meaning, or extent of something.

Synonyms

broaden, enlarge, extend

Examples of usage

The author distended the original story to create a longer novel.
She distended her argument to cover all possible scenarios.

Translations

Translations of the word "distend" in other languages:

🇵🇹 dilatar

🇮🇳 फैलाना

🇩🇪 ausdehnen

🇮🇩 mengembang

🇺🇦 розтягувати

🇵🇱 rozciągać

🇯🇵 膨張する (ぼうちょうする)

🇫🇷 dilater

🇪🇸 dilatar

🇹🇷 genişletmek

🇰🇷 팽창시키다

🇸🇦 يمدد

🇨🇿 roztáhnout

🇸🇰 rozťahovať

🇨🇳 扩张 (kuòzhāng)

🇸🇮 razširiti

🇮🇸 útvíkka

🇰🇿 кеңейту

🇬🇪 გაფართოება

🇦🇿 genişlətmək

🇲🇽 dilatar

Word origin

The word 'distend' originated from the Latin word 'distendere', which means 'to stretch out'. It entered the English language in the late 16th century. The concept of distension has been used in various fields, including medicine, physics, and literature, to describe the act of expanding or swelling something. Over time, the word has evolved to encompass both physical and metaphorical meanings of expansion and stretching.

See also: tend, tendencies, tendency, tender, tending, tension, untended.