The word "dilate" is spelled with the letter "i" after the letter "l" instead of the letter "a" as some may expect. This is due to the silent "e" at the end of the word. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is pronounced as /daɪˈleɪt/, meaning the first syllable is pronounced with a long "i" sound, while the second syllable is pronounced with a long "a" sound. Dilate means to enlarge or expand, and is commonly used in medical and scientific contexts.
Dilate is a verb that can be defined as the action of becoming larger, wider, or more open in size or extent. It generally refers to the process of expanding or enlarging something, whether this refers to physical objects, spaces, or even abstract concepts.
In a medical context, dilate often relates to the widening or stretching of body parts or blood vessels, such as when the pupils of the eye dilate in response to changes in light or when blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow.
In addition to physical applications, dilate can also describe the process of making something more detailed, elaborate, or extensive. For example, when an author dilates on a particular aspect of a story, they are expanding on it to provide more information or depth.
The word can also be used to describe the act of prolonging or extending a specific time frame or duration. For instance, if a meeting is dilated, it means it has been prolonged or stretched out beyond its originally intended time limit.
Overall, dilate is a versatile verb that encompasses various meanings related to enlargement, expansion, stretching, and elongation, and commonly finds application in the fields of medicine, biology, literature, and everyday conversation.
To spread out; to expand in all directions; to enlarge; to dwell on in narration.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "dilate" derives from the Latin word "dilatare", which is a combination of two Latin roots: "dis-" meaning "apart" or "away", and "latus" meaning "wide" or "broad". The Latin term "dilatare" originally meant "to make wider" or "to expand". It was then borrowed into Middle English as "dilaten" and eventually evolved into the modern English term "dilate", which has a similar meaning of widening, expanding, or enlarging.