I. prəˈlȯŋ, prōˈ- also -läŋ transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English prolongen, from Middle French prolonguer, from Late Latin prolongare, from Latin pro- forward + longus long — more at pro- , long
1. : to lengthen in time : extend in duration : draw out : continue , protract
the candidacy period for party membership can be prolonged one year — Americana Annual
a chance of prolonging his life indefinitely — J.G.Frazer
enjoying the situation and wanting to prolong it — Rose Macaulay
prolonged this anxiety
2. archaic : to put off : delay , postpone
and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged — Ezek 12: 25 (Authorized Version)
3. : to lengthen or draw out the pronunciation of (as a syllable or sound)
no matter how long you prolong the “i” of “bit” — “b-i-i-i-t” — you never get the “i” of “police” — Weston LaBarre
4. : to lengthen in extent, scope, or range
habitually prolongs a sentence thus until it has covered the unit of its subject — R.M.Weaver
the boundary … has … prolonged itself northward — Herbert Agar
prolong the list — F.L.Mott
prolonging the runways of the airfield — Weekly Overseas Mail (London)
education … should be prolonged through adult years — C.W.Eliot
Synonyms: see extend
II. ˈprōˌlȯŋ also -läŋ noun
( -s )
: a prolonged part ; specifically : a cone of sheet iron placed over the end of the condenser in a furnace for recovering zinc by distillation