Main Entry: ex·pan·sion

Pronunciation: \ik-ˈspan(t)-shən\

Function: noun

Date: 1611

1 : expanse
2 : the act or process of expanding <territorial expansion> <economic expansion> <expansion of the universe>
3 : the quality or state of being expanded
4 : the increase in volume of working fluid (as steam) in an engine cylinder after cutoff or in an internal combustion engine after explosion
5 a : an expanded part b : something that results from an act of expanding <the book is an expansion of a lecture series>
6 : the result of carrying out an indicated mathematical operation : the expression of a function in the form of a series

— ex·pan·sion·al \-ˈpanch-nəl, -chə-n^əl\ adjective