Expansion is the process of becoming greater in size, number, or amount.
...the rapid expansion of private health insurance. [+ of]
...a new period of economic expansion.
The company has abandoned plans for further expansion.
Synonyms: increase, development, growth, spread More Synonyms of expansion
More Synonyms of expansion
expansion in British English
(ɪkˈspænʃən)
noun
1.
the act of expanding or the state of being expanded
2.
something expanded; an expanded surface or part
3.
the degree, extent, or amount by which something expands
4.
an increase, enlargement, or development, esp in the activities of a company
5. mathematics
a.
the form of an expression or function when it is written as the sum or product of its terms
b.
the act or process of determining this expanded form
6.
the part of an engine cycle in which the working fluid does useful work by increasing in volume
7.
the increase in the dimensions of a body or substance when subjected to an increase in temperature, internal pressure, etc
Derived forms
expansionary (exˈpansionary)
adjective
expansion in American English
(ɛkˈspænʃɛn)
noun
1.
an expanding or being expanded; enlargement; dilation
2.
an expanded thing or part
3.
the amount, degree, or extent of expansion
4.
a development or full treatment, as of a topic
5.
the process or result of working out or giving the full form of a contraction, equation, etc.
6. Mechanics
the expanding in volume of steam in the cylinder of a steam engine after cutoff, or of gas in the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine after explosion
Word origin
LL expansio < L expansus: see expanse
expansion in Mechanical Engineering
(ɪkspænʃən)
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Energy, thermodynamics and heat transfer)
Expansion is the part of an engine cycle in which the fluid increases in volume and makes apart such as a piston or flywheel move.
The expansion of the gas pushes the piston inside the cylinder.
The expansion of the gas causes the piston to move.
Expansion is the part of an engine cycle in which the fluid increases in volume and makes apart such as a piston or flywheel move.
Examples of 'expansion' in a sentence
expansion
The romantic vision of the American novelist originates in a limitless expansion of ego.
Reeves, Robert DOUBTING THOMAS (2001)
One of the things I'm afraid of is its expansion to the United States.
Andrews, Virginia WEB OF DREAMS (2001)
Even after all these thousands of years of human settlement, the vastness of Majipoor was such that ample room for expansion still remained.
Robert Silverberg LORD PRESTIMION (2001)
In other languages
expansion
British English: expansion NOUN
Expansion is the process of becoming greater in size, number, or amount.
...the rapid expansion of private health insurance.
American English: expansion
Brazilian Portuguese: expansão
Chinese: 扩张
European Spanish: expansión
French: expansion
German: Ausdehnung
Italian: espansione
Japanese: 拡大
Korean: 확장
European Portuguese: expansão
Latin American Spanish: expansión
All related terms of 'expansion'
expansion bend
a loop in a pipe conveying hot fluid that provides flexibility which takes up thermal expansion and thus reduces temperature-induced stress in the pipe to an acceptable level
expansion bolt
a bolt that expands on tightening , enabling it to be secured into an unthreaded hole
expansion card
a circuit board that can be connected to a computer's motherboard in order to increase memory or add extra facilities
expansion joint
a gap in steel or concrete to allow for thermal expansion
expansion slot
a physical electronic interface provided in a computer system to enable extra facilities to be added easily at a later date
expansion tank
a tank collecting coolant from a radiator while an engine is heated, and from which the coolant returns to the radiator when the engine cools
expansion team
a new team in a league , composed largely of players acquired from established league teams and formed when the league expands its membership
expansion wave
a shock wave that expands the medium through which it is transmitted
free expansion
the expansion of a gas into an evacuated space without the transfer of heat or the performance of work
expansion bottle
a tank collecting coolant from a radiator while an engine is heated, and from which the coolant returns to the radiator when the engine cools
thermal expansion
expansion caused by heat
coefficient of expansion
the amount of expansion (or contraction ) per unit length of a material resulting from one degree change in temperature
triple expansion engine
(formerly) a steam engine in which the steam is expanded in three stages in cylinders of increasing diameter to accommodate the increasing volume of the steam