dilate

dilate · verb¹

1. Latindīlātō
2. Old Frenchdilater
3. Middle Englishdilaten
4. English todaydilate

First attested in 1393, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dilaten, from Old French dilater, from Latin dīlātō (“to spread out”), from dī- + lātus (“wide”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of dilatate.

dilate · verb²

1. Latin · derived fromdīlātō
2. Latin · derived fromdīfferō
3. Latin · borrowed fromdīlātus
4. Middle English · inherited fromdilaten“to delay, tarry”
5. English todaydilate

First attested in 1399, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dilaten (“to delay, tarry”), borrowed from Latin dīlātus, perfect passive participle of Latin dīfferō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)). If so, Doublet of defer and differ; see also infer, relate and refer, collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prefer and prelate among others. Alternatively, from Latin dīlātō, see Etymology 1.

dilate · adjective³

1. Latin · borrowed fromdīlātus
2. English todaydilate

First attested in 1471, in Middle English; borrowed from Latin dīlātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 2 for more.

Words from the same roots