də̇ˈstend verb
Etymology: Middle English distenden, from Latin distendere, from dis- apart + tendere to stretch — more at dis- , thin
transitive verb
1. archaic : to extend in one direction : lengthen out : spread apart
2.
a. : to stretch out or extend in more than one direction
the main outlines of the land yet lay clearly distended before them — Norman Douglas
b. : to enlarge from internal pressure : swell , dilate , bloat
the bat's body was so distended that it appeared spherical — R.L.Ditmars & A.M.Greenhall
a distended bladder
distended nostrils
c. : to make larger or increase beyond a due, expected, or reasonable proportion
the distended profits of the enemy trade — F.L.Paxson
a much- distended land power — W.G.East
this simple drama as it has been distended into a spectacle to catch the eye of Broadway — John Mason Brown
: unduly increase or magnify the importance of
print headlines that attract the reader, even if the facts of the story have to be distended — Jean Hills
intransitive verb
: to become larger, expanded, or inflated : swell , enlarge
her eyes seemed to distend with surprise
Synonyms: see expand