dilated; dilating
1
a
: to become enlarged or widened
Kim's eyes dilated while the outdoor stadium rocked in celebration.—
Ralph Wiley
Ralph Wiley… arterioles continually dilate and constrict.—Janet Raloff
Janet Raloff
also
: to display or become affected by expansion or widening of a body part
The expectant mother was dilating slowly. [=The expectant mother's cervix was dilating slowly.]
b
: to become expanded in extent
Understandably, a tendency to philosophize dilated with old age.—Anthony Powell
Anthony PowellTime dilates when you mentally hop continents.—Bret Wallach
Bret Wallach2
: to comment at length : discourse
—usually used with on or upon
It's no small irony that a man who made a career out of dilating on failure should have ended up a success.—James Atlas
James AtlasHe dwells and dilates upon every highlight and lowlight …—The New Yorker
The New Yorker1
a
: to enlarge, widen, or cause to expand
Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator that increases blood flow by dilating blood vessels.—Ruth MacPete
Ruth MacPeteInhalers, the standard treatment for asthma, relieve wheezing by delivering an agent that dilates the bronchioles …—Tony Dajer
Tony DajerCocaine … increases the heart rate, raises the blood pressure and, in large doses, increases the body temperature and dilates the pupils of the eyes.—Craif Van Dyke and Robert Byck
Craif Van Dyke and Robert Byck
b
: to expand in extent
dilate our cultural knowledge
Like millions of other urban youths in the 1960s, Tian got a chance to dilate his horizons when he was sent into the countryside during the Cultural Revolution to learn from the peasantry.—Lawrence Chua
Lawrence Chua2
archaic
: to describe or set forth at length or in detail
Do me the favor to dilate at full / What hath befallen of them …—William Shakespeare
William ShakespeareSynonyms
Examples of dilate in a Sentence
The drug causes the blood vessels to dilate.
During labor, a woman's cervix will dilate to about 10 centimeters.
The drug dilates the blood vessels.
Recent Examples on the Web
When someone is tense from pain, their body can fight the contractions, preventing the cervix from dilating.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 2024
Familial dilated cardiomyopathy is a type of genetic heart disease that can get passed down from your parents to you or from you to your children.
—Anisha Shah, Health, 14 Sep. 2024
Your body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and causes blood pressure levels to drop.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
Her last communication was that she was fully dilated and then … nothing.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dilate 
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Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 2024
Familial dilated cardiomyopathy is a type of genetic heart disease that can get passed down from your parents to you or from you to your children.
—Anisha Shah, Health, 14 Sep. 2024
Your body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and causes blood pressure levels to drop.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
Her last communication was that she was fully dilated and then … nothing.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dilate
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Dictionary Entries Near dilate
Cite this Entry
“Dilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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Medical Definition
dilated; dilating
: to enlarge, widen, or cause to expand
dilate his pupils with atropine
the drug dilates peripheral arteries
: to become enlarged, expanded, or widened
the cervix was dilating
the pupils dilated
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