expand
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: rhymes: -ænd
ipa: /ɪkˈspænd/
ipa: /ɛkˈspænd/
Forms: form: expands
form: expanding
form: expanded
form: expanded
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: expand
form: expand
form: expanded
form: expand
form: expandest
form: expanded
form: expandedst
form: expands
form: expandeth
form: expanded
form: expand
form: expanded
form: expand
form: expanded
form: expand
form: -
form: expanding
form: expanded
Etymology: Recorded in Middle English since 1422 (as expanden, expaunden), from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Latin expandere (“to spread out”), itself from ex- (“out, outwards”) + pandō (“to spread”). Doublet of spawn.
Senses: examples: text: You can expand this compact umbrella to cover a large table.
glosses: To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open.
examples: text: A flower expands its leaves.
text: Then with expanded wings he steers his flight.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
text: This has evidently been encouraging, for the current winter timetable - not even with the benefit of summer holiday traffic - shows that the two trains each way have been expanded to four.
ref: 1961 October 24, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Scottish Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 594:
text: When an ultrasonic beam is fired at the microcannons, the emulsion evaporates, expanding rapidly into gas. This creates enough force to push the nanobullets out at velocities reaching several metres per second.
ref: 2016 February 1, Tom Whipple, “Microcannon firing nanobullets: the future of targeted medicine”, in The Times:
glosses: To increase the extent, number, volume or scope of (something).
glosses: To express (something) at length and/or in detail.
examples: text: Use the binomial theorem to expand #123;(x#43;1)#125;⁴.
topics: algebra
mathematics
sciences
glosses: To rewrite (an expression) as a longer, yet equivalent, sum of terms.
examples: text: The expression #123;(x#43;1)#125;⁴ expands to x⁴#43;4x³#43;6x²#43;4x#43;1.
topics: algebra
mathematics
sciences
glosses: To become, by rewriting, a longer, yet equivalent, sum of terms.
raw_tags: of an expression
examples: text: Expanding 4#47;7 by 3 gives 12#47;21.
topics: arithmetic
glosses: To multiply both the numerator and the denominator of a fraction by the same (non-zero) number (which yields a fraction of equal value).
examples: text: Many materials expand when heated.
text: This compact umbrella expands to cover a large table.
glosses: To change or grow from smaller to larger in form, number, or size.
glosses: To increase in extent, number, volume or scope.
examples: text: He expanded on his plans for the business.
text: There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […]”
ref: 1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:
glosses: To speak or write at length or in detail.
glosses: To feel generous or optimistic.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
antonyms: collapse
glosses: In a hierarchical list (such as a directory tree or table of contents), to show the subentries of (an entry).
Synonyms: sense: to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one
word: open out
sense: to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one
word: spread
sense: to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one
word: spread out
sense: to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one
word: unfold
sense: to increase the extent, number, volume or scope of
word: enlarge
sense: to express at length or in detail
english: on
translation: on
word: elaborate
sense: to express at length or in detail
word: expand on
Derived terms: coexpand
companding
expandability
expandable
expandedly
expandedness
expander
expandingly
expandingness
expand one's wings
hyperexpanded
misexpand
nonexpanded
nonexpanding
overexpand
reexpand
semiexpanded
underexpanded
unexpanded
unexpanding
Related terms: expanse
expansible
expansile
expansion
expansionism
expansive