elongate

/ɪˈlɑŋgeɪt/

/ɪˈlɒŋgeɪt/

Other forms: elongated; elongating; elongates

When you lengthen or extend something, you elongate it. A yoga teacher might encourage you to reach up as high as you can, so that you elongate your spine.

The verb elongate means "to make long or longer," and it stems from the Late Latin elongare, "to extend or prolong." When you stretch something out, especially when it's longer than it is wide, you can say you elongate it. This word can also apply to non-tangible things: Your principal might elongate the semester if you have too many snow days, and you might elongate your vowels when speaking a foreign language. In science, it's also used as an adjective, for long, narrow creatives like elongate fish (otherwise known as eels).

Definitions of elongate

1. verb

   make longer
   synonyms: lengthen

   types:

   draw out, extend, prolong, protract

   lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer

   stretch

   make long or longer by pulling and stretching

   extend

   prolong the time allowed for payment of

   temporise, temporize

   draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time

   spin, spin out

   prolong or extend

   shoetree, tree

   stretch (a shoe) on a shoetree

   type of:

   increase

   make bigger or more
2. verb

   make long or longer by pulling and stretching
   synonyms: stretch

   types:

   shoetree, tree

   stretch (a shoe) on a shoetree

   type of:

   lengthen

   make longer
3. verb

   become long or longer
   synonyms: lengthen

   type of:

   grow

   become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain
4. adjective

   having notably more length than width; being long and slender
   “an elongate tail tapering to a point”

   synonyms: elongated

   long

   primarily spatial sense; of relatively great or greater than average spatial extension or extension as specified
5. adjective

   (of a leaf shape) long and narrow
   synonyms: linear

   simple, unsubdivided

   (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions