Word of the Day

: March 29, 2009

distend

verb dih-STEND

What It Means

1 : extend

2 : to enlarge from internal pressure : swell

3 : to become expanded

distend in Context

With mouths agape and eyes distended, the audience listened to the canoeist's incredible story of survival after being capsized by the river's rapids.

Did You Know?

The history of the word "distend" stretches back to the Latin verb "tendere" -- a root whose kin have really expanded our language. To find evidence of this expansion, look to words that include "tend" or "tent"; many have "tendere," which means "to stretch, extend, or spread," in their family tree. Perhaps the simplest example is "tent," which names a shelter made from a piece of material stretched over a frame. You'll also find the influence of "tendere" in "extend," "tendon," "contend," "portend," and "tendency."