/ ˈiːlɒŋgeɪt; NAmE ɪˈlɔːŋ-/ verb
[ v , vn ] to become longer; to make sth longer
SYN lengthen
► elonga·tion / ˌiːlɒŋˈgeɪʃn; NAmE ˌiːlɔːŋ-/ noun [ U ]:
the elongation of vowel sounds
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense move away ): from late Latin elongat- placed at a distance, from the verb elongare , from Latin e- (variant of ex- ) away + longe far off, longus long.