dilate

/ˈdī-ˌlāt/

Middle English, from Middle French dilater, from Latin dilatare, literally, to spread wide, from dis- + latus wide

verb

  1. to become enlarged or widened; also : to display or become affected by expansion or widening of a body part

  2. to become expanded in extent

  3. to comment at length : discourse —usually used with on or upon

Kim's eyes dilated while the outdoor stadium rocked in celebration.

Understandably, a tendency to philosophize dilated with old age.

expand amplify swell distend inflate dilate mean to increase in size or volume. expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts). amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

phrasal verb

  1. to talk about (a subject) for a long time

We spent a long evening listening to him dilate on the need for tax relief.