distend
verb /dɪˈstend/
/dɪˈstend/
[intransitive, transitive] (formal or medical)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they distend | /dɪˈstend/ /dɪˈstend/ |
| he / she / it distends | /dɪˈstendz/ /dɪˈstendz/ |
| past simple distended | /dɪˈstendɪd/ /dɪˈstendɪd/ |
| past participle distended | /dɪˈstendɪd/ /dɪˈstendɪd/ |
| -ing form distending | /dɪˈstendɪŋ/ /dɪˈstendɪŋ/ |
- distend (something) to swell (= become larger and rounder than before) or make something swell because of pressure from inside
- He tied a piece of cloth around his upper arm to impede circulation and distend the veins.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin distendere, from dis- ‘apart’ + tendere ‘to stretch’.