Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
DILATE
dilate, distend
(verb) become wider; “His pupils were dilated”
elaborate, lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expand, expound, dilate
(verb) add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; “She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
dilate (third-person singular simple present dilates, present participle dilating, simple past and past participle dilated)
(transitive) To enlarge; to make bigger.
(intransitive) To become wider or larger; to expand.
Antonym: contract
(ambitransitive) To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; with "on" or "upon".
(medicine, ambitransitive) To use a dilator to widen (something, such as a vagina).
(idiomatic, intransitive, vulgar, dismissal, 4chan) Expression of anger and contempt, specifically at transgender individuals.
Anagrams
• atelid, de-tail, detail, dietal, laited, tailed
Source: Wiktionary
Di*late", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dilated; p. pr. & vb. n. Dilating.] Etym: [L. dilatare; either fr. di- = dis- + latus wide, not the same word as latus, used as p. p. of ferre to bear (see Latitude); or fr. dilatus, used as p. p. of differre to separate (see Delay, Tolerate, Differ, and cf. Dilatory): cf. F. dilater.]
1. To expand; to distend; to enlarge or extend in all directions; to swell; -- opposed to contract; as, the air dilates the lungs; air is dilated by increase of heat.
2. To enlarge upon; to relate at large; to tell copiously or diffusely. [R.] Do me the favor to dilate at full What hath befallen of them and thee till now. Shak.
Syn.
– To expand; swell; distend; enlarge; spread out; amplify; expatiate.
Di*late", v. i.
1. To grow wide; to expand; to swell or extend in all directions. His heart dilates and glories in his strength. Addison.
2. To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge;
– with on or upon. But still on their ancient joys dilate. Crabbe.
Di*late", a.
Definition: Extensive; expanded. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
6 May 2025
HEEDLESS
(adjective) marked by or paying little heed or attention; “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics”--Franklin D. Roosevelt; “heedless of danger”; “heedless of the child’s crying”
Coffee Trivia
