▪ I. † diˈlate, v.1 Obs.
Also 4 deleate, 5 dylate, 5–6 de-.
[a. F. dilater to defer, delay, temporize, ad. med.L. dīlātāre to defer, delay, put off, protract, freq. of differre to defer: cf. dilatory. The sense ‘prolong’ comes so near ‘enlarge’, ‘expand’, or ‘set forth at length’, in dilate v.2, that the two verbs were probably not thought of as distinct words.]
1. trans. To delay, defer.
| 1399 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 14 To ȝive ous pes, which longe hath be deleated. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 45 Thou oughtest to dylate the vengeaunce tyll the furour be passed. c 1485 Digby Myst. ii. 497 To delate yt any lenger yt ys not best. 1556 J. Heywood Spider & F. lii. 19 Without more time delated. 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1577) 158 Sometimes the sorrowful sutor doth more feele a rough word they speake, then the iustice they dilate. 1581 T. Howell Deuises (1879) 213 Some..with delayes the matter will delate. 1620 Shelton Quix. II. iv. ix. 120 Why dost thou with these so many untoward breathings delate the making of mine end happy? |
2. To extend in time, protract, prolong, lengthen.
| 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. vi. 103 The cas happed that the battaylle was somwhat dylated. 1596 Bell Surv. Popery ii. ii. v. 168 These houres are sometimes dilated. 1658 Osborn Adv. Son (1673) 146 A..way to dilate a remembrance beyond the banks of Forgetfulness. |
Hence diˈlated ppl. a., diˈlating vbl. n.
| 1509–10 Act 1 Hen. VIII, c. 4, Preamb., Delatyng of so longe tyme. 1556 J. Heywood Spider & F. xxxv. 10 Without more delated delaie. a 1657 R. Loveday Lett. (1663) 165 Your dilated resolutions of seeing London. |
▪ II. dilate, v.2
(dɪ-, daɪˈleɪt)
Also 6–7 delate.
[a. F. dilate-r (Oresme, 14th c.), ad. L. dīlātāre to spread out, amplify, extend, widen, f. dī-, dis- (dis- 1) + lāt-us broad, wide.]
1. trans. To make wider or larger; to increase the width of, widen; to expand, amplify, enlarge.
| 1528 Paynel Salerne's Regim. Y b, Lekes delate the matrice. 1555 Eden Decades 261 Al thynges..are dilated by heate. 1579 Twyne Phisicke agst. Fort. ii. Ep. Ded. 161 a, I might dilate this discourse with a thousand argumentes. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxi. 162 It is enforced to dilate and hold open the jawes. 1697 Potter Antiq. Greece iii. xvi. (1715) 135 The sails were contracted, dilated, or chang'd from one side to another. 1749 Smollett Regicide iv. v, While the deep groan Dilates thy lab'ring breast? 1835–6 Todd Cycl. Anat. I. 403/2, Haller found..the bladder so dilated that it was capable of containing twenty pounds of water. 1851 Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. ii. vii. 193 Heat dilates matter with an irresistible force. |
b. fig.
| c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. liv, Dilate þin herte, & resceyue þis holy inspiracion wiþ all maner desir. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 275 b, Holy charite..dilateth & spredeth the herte of man or woman. 1625 F. Markham Bk. Hon. ii. ii. 47 Another sort, who haue dilated and made excellent their bloods, by the great happiness of their fortunate Issues and Noble Matches or Mariages. 1704 Hearne Duct. Hist. (1714) I. 139 The Reader may take Eachard's Roman History as being..proper to dilate the Student's knowledge in Roman Affairs. 1871 Farrar Witn. Hist. v. 193 As we have seen, it [Christianity] dilates our whole being. |
c. refl.
| 1539 Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1552) 60 We be therefore warned that we dylate not our selues beyond our condition and state. 1653 Wharton Disc. Comets Wks. (1683) 149 There at first appeared a small Comet, afterward it mounted and dilated it self on high. 1715 Leoni Palladio's Archit. (1742) I. 5 Copper is..very pliable, and dilates it self into very thin Leaves. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 379 Will he not dilate and elevate himself in the fulness of vain pomp and senseless pride? |
† 2. To spread abroad; to extend, diffuse, or disperse through a wide space or region. lit. and fig. Obs.
| 1430 Instr. Ambass. in Rymer Foedera (1710) X. 725 Christen Feith and beleue had..be dilated through the World. 1520 Caxton's Chron. Eng. iii. 20 b/1 In al this tyme the Empyre of Rome was not dylated passynge 12 myle. 1548–77 Vicary Anat. ii. (1888) 21 This Artere..is more obedient to be delated abrode through al the lunges. 1549 Compl. Scotl. Epist. 1 The immortal gloir..is abundantly dilatit athort al cuntreis. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 53 Bowes and braunches which did broad dilate Their clasping armes. 1644 Evelyn Sylva (1679) 4 The tree being of a kind apt to dilate its roots. 1719 J. T. Philipps tr. 34 Conferences 348 This Juncture..favourable for dilating the Knowledge of Christ among these Nations. |
b. refl.
| 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 258 The curing of this Gangrene so dilating it self both in Church, Court and State. 1702 Echard Eccl. Hist. (1710) 246 The joy of which preferment..dilated itself through all the Roman empire. |
3. intr. (for refl.) To become wider or larger; to spread out, widen, enlarge, expand.
| 1636 G. Sandys Paraphr. Ps. 107 And Naphtali, which borders on Old Jordan, where his stream dilates. 1641 Wilkins Math. Magick ii. v. (1648) 182 Shall be like the fins of a fish to contract and dilate. 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Praise Chimneysw., The nostrils of the young rogues dilated at the savour. 1849 Miss Mulock Ogilvies ii, Her eye dilating and her cheek glowing. 1871 B. Stewart Heat §32 When a body increases in temperature it also expands in volume or dilates. 1879 G. C. Harlan Eyesight ii. 16 The pupil has the property of contracting and dilating. |
b. fig. To expand itself; † to have full scope.
| 1651 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. ii. xiii. (1739) 73 The Duke of Gloucester was of such noble parts, that they could hardly dilate in any work inferior to the Government of a Kingdom. 1847 H. Rogers Ess. I. v. 260 These flimsy objections dilate into monstrous dimensions. 1863 Draper Intell. Devel. Europe iii. (1865) 66 A false inference like this soon dilated into a general doctrine. |
† 4. trans. To relate, describe, or set forth at length; to enlarge or expatiate upon. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 190 It nedeth nought that I dilate The pris which preised is algate. c 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 1 It plesed me..to gader a schort remembrance of elde stories, that whanne I loke upon hem..I can sone dilate the circumstaunses. a 1533 Frith Disput. Purgat. Prol. (1829) 94 Rastell hath enterprised to dilate this matter, and hath divided it into three Dialogues. 1632 Lithgow Trav. viii. 346 Having met with some of their Brethren..and delated to them their deathes. c 1790 Cowper Comm. Milton's P.L. ii. 1024–33 It is..a common thing with poets to touch slightly beforehand, a subject which they mean to dilate in the sequel. 1801 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) III. 150, I dare give only hints; it would be presumptuous to dilate them. |
5. intr. To discourse or write at large; to enlarge, expatiate. Const. † of (obs.), on, upon.
| 1560 Whitehorne Arte Warre (1588) 105, I might haue delated more vpon the seruice on horsebacke, and after haue reasoned of the warre on the Sea. 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 13 a, Experience reproues me for a foole, for delating on so manifest a case. 1609 W. M. Man in Moone (1849) 25, I could amply delate of thy sinne, but I know it needlesse. 1689–92 Locke Toleration iii. vii. Wks. 1727 II. 379 The terrible Consequences you dilate on..I leave you for your private use. 1697 Collier Ess. Mor. Subj. i. (1709) 238 Were it not too sad an Argument to dilate upon. 1786 T. Jefferson Writ. (1859) II. 33 You were dilating with your new acquaintances. 1820 Lamb Elia Ser. i. South-sea Ho., How would he dilate into secret history. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. xxvi, She proceeded to dilate upon the perfections of Miss Nickleby. 1861 F. Hall in Jrnl. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 146 But it is needless to dilate. 1874 Stubbs Const. Hist. (1875) III. xviii. 122 The chancellor..dilated at length on the perjuries of Duke Philip. |
† b. refl. To express oneself at length or diffusely. Obs. rare.
| 1644 Digby Nat. Bodies ii. (1645) 9 Concerning which wee shall not need to dilate our selves any further. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iv. i. §6 In process of time, Wicliffe might delate himself in supplemental and additional Opinions. a 1672 Wood Life (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) I. 161 Dr. Richard Gardiner..dilating himself on Christ's miracle of turning water into wine. |
▪ III. dilate, a. arch.
(daɪˈleɪt)
Also 7 delate.
[In form, ad. L. dīlāt-us carried in different ways, spread abroad, dispersed, published, pa. pple. of differre; but in sense, answering to L. dilātāt-us, widened, expanded, and so perh. short for dilated.]
= dilated, widely extended or expanded.
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. xi. in Ashm. (1652) 182 With mykyll more Lycour dylate. 1603 B. Jonson Sejanus i. ii, Instructed With so dilate and absolute a power. 1614 W. B. Philosopher's Banquet (ed. 2) 12 A minde so delate and ample. 1677 Hale Prim. Orig. Man. ii. vii. 187 The Seas possibly more dilate and extended. 1803 W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. I. 301 Who narrates with dilate diffusion. 1883 Fenn Eli's Childr. III. iii. ii. 180 Her dilate and frightened eyes softened with tears. |
▪ IV. † diˈlate, n. Obs. rare.
[f. dilate v.2]
= dilatation 3.
| 1595 Markham Sir R. Grinvile (Arb.) 58 Thanks hardie Midleton for thy dilate. |
▪ V. dilate
obs. form of delate, delete.