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Added 9 October 2026

expand

/ɪkˈspænd/ verb

In Latin: expandō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about expand at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Extend in one or more directions.
The dough expands
Become larger in size or volume or quantity.
his business expanded rapidly
Make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity.
expand the house by adding another wing

Origin

Recorded in Middle English since 1422 (as expanden, expaunden), from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Latin expandō (“to spread out”), itself from ex- (“out, outwards”) + pandō (“to spread”). Doublet of spawn.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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