distend

  • 1Distend — Dis*tend , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Distended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Distending}.] [L. distendere, distentum, distensum; dis + tendere to stretch, stretch out: cf. F. distendre to distend, d[ e]tendre to unbend. See {Tend}, and cf. {Detent}.] 1. To… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2Distend — Dis*tend , v. i. To become expanded or inflated; to swell. His heart distends with pride. Milton. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3distend — index compound, enlarge, expand, extend (enlarge), inflate, overextend Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …

    Law dictionary

  • 4distend — (v.) c.1400, from L. distendere to swell or stretch out, extend, from dis apart (see DIS (Cf. dis )) + tendere to stretch (see TENET (Cf. tenet)). Related: Distended; distending …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5distend — swell, dilate, *expand, inflate, amplify Analogous words: enlarge, *increase, augment: *extend, lengthen Antonyms: constrict Contrasted words: *contract, shrink, compress, condense, deflate …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6distend — [v] bulge, swell amplify, augment, balloon, bloat, dilate, distort, enlarge, expand, increase, inflate, lengthen, puff, stretch, widen; concepts 157,469,780 Ant. cave in, contract, deflate, fall, shrink …

    New thesaurus

  • 7distend — ► VERB ▪ swell because of internal pressure. DERIVATIVES distended adjective distensibility noun distensible adjective distension noun. ORIGIN Latin distendere, from tendere to stretch …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8distend — [di stend′] vt., vi. [ME distenden < L distendere < dis , apart + tendere, to stretch: see TEND2] 1. to stretch out 2. to expand; make or become swollen SYN. EXPAND …

    English World dictionary

  • 9distend — UK [dɪˈstend] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms distend : present tense I/you/we/they distend he/she/it distends present participle distending past tense distended past participle distended to swell, or to make something swell …

    English dictionary

  • 10distend — verb a) To extend or expand, as from internal pressure; to swell These impure and frail matters are conteined within the angust concave of the Lunar Orb, above which with uninterrupted Series the things Celestial distend themselves. b) …

    Wiktionary