Word: dilate (verb)

Associations

"Dilate" means to make something wider or larger, especially an opening or space. It is often used in medical or scientific contexts but can be used more generally.

• The doctor told me that my pupils will dilate in the dark. Here, "dilate" means the pupils get bigger to let in more light.
• When you dilate a balloon, you blow air into it to make it bigger.
• The river dilated after the heavy rain, meaning it became wider. A well-known synonym is "expand." The difference is that "dilate" usually refers to something that opens or widens gradually, often in a circular or specific way (like eyes or blood vessels), while "expand" is more general and can mean growing in any direction or increasing in size.

Substitution

You can use words like "expand," "widen," or "enlarge" instead of "dilate," but each changes the meaning slightly.

• "Expand" is more general and can refer to size or volume increasing.
• "Widen" focuses on making something broader, usually in width.
• "Enlarge" means to make bigger but does not always imply opening or stretching. For example, "The pupils will widen in the dark" is similar to "dilate," but "widen" is less technical.

Deconstruction

The word "dilate" comes from Latin "dilatare," which means "to spread out" or "to enlarge."

• Prefix "di-" can mean "apart" or "in different directions."
• Root "lat" relates to "carry" or "bring."
• Suffix "-ate" is often used to form verbs. So, "dilate" literally means "to carry apart" or "to spread out," which fits its meaning of making something wider.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where your body might dilate naturally?
• How would you describe a room if it "dilated" in size? Does that make sense, or would another word be better?
• Have you ever seen a picture of a dilated pupil? What do you notice about it?
• How might understanding the root of "dilate" help you remember its meaning?