Distend
/dɪˈstɛnd/
verbC1
Definition
To distend means to become larger and stretched because something inside is pushing out. This word is often used for parts of the body or containers that swell up when filled with air, liquid, or gas. It shows a physical change where the outside surface grows bigger and rounder.
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See It in Action
To swell or stretch out because of internal pressure
- •After drinking a lot of water, his stomach began to distend.
- •The balloon distended as the air filled it.
- •The riverbank distended due to heavy rain and flooding.
(Medical) To become swollen, often referring to organs or body parts
- •The doctor noticed her abdomen was distended and ordered tests.
- •The patient's intestines were distended because of gas buildup.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "distend" like "grow," but only when something grows by stretching out from inside, not by adding more material on the outside.
- ✓Picture a balloon slowly filling with air until it gets big and round, pushing its skin outward.
- ✓It's the feeling when your stomach feels full and tight after eating a big meal.
- ✓Sounds like "dis-TEND" → imagine something trying to "tend" (reach) out in all directions because it is stretching.
- ✓Imagine a story where a character’s belly distends after eating a magical feast, growing larger and rounder.
- ✓NOT like "inflate" (which often means adding air actively), "distend" can happen naturally by pressure inside without adding air.
- ✓NOT like "expand" (which can mean growing in many ways), "distend" specifically means swelling outwards due to pressure inside.
Try Other Words
- •Swell: to become larger, often by filling with liquid or air (Use when the focus is on getting bigger generally)
- •Inflate: to fill with air or gas actively (Use when something is filled by adding air or gas)
- •Expand: to increase in size or volume (Use when growth is more general, not just by stretching from inside)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "dis-" (apart, away) + root: "tend" (to stretch or reach)
- •Etymology: From Latin "distendere," meaning to stretch apart or expand
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to describe physical stretching or swelling
- •Modern usage: Common in medical and scientific contexts to describe swelling due to internal pressure
- •Key insight: Focuses on stretching out because of pressure inside, not just any growth
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of situations where something distends slowly versus quickly? How does this affect how we feel about it?
•How might the word "distend" help us better describe physical feelings or changes in the body?
Fill in the blanks
1.When the balloon distend___, its surface becomes ___ and tight because of the air inside.
2.A stomach can distend after ___ a large meal or drinking a lot of liquid.
3.Unlike regular growth, distend___ happens because of pressure ___ from inside pushing outward.
4.In medicine, a distended abdomen may indicate ___ or gas buildup inside the body.
5.The riverbank distended after ___ rain caused the water to rise and push the land outward.
6.People often feel uncomfortable when their stomach distend___ too much after eating.
7.The word "distend" is different from "inflate" because inflate means ___ air into something, while distend means to swell ___ pressure already inside.