dilater

[Eng. dilat (e); -er.] [DILATOR.] 1. Lit.: One who enlarges, expands, extends, or amplifies. "Thy labors shew thy will to dignify The first dilaters of thy famous nation." Skelton Verses pref, to Verstegan's Restitution . 2. Fig .: One who dilates or discourses copiously upon any subject. di-lat-ing, pr. par., a. & s. [DILATE, v.] A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) C. As substantive : 1. Lit.: The act of expanding, extending, or en larging. 2. Fig .: The act of enlarging or amplifying upon. di-lā-tion (1), s . [Eng. dilat(e); -ion.] The act of dilating, extending, or enlarging; the state of being dilated; dilatation. *di-la-tion (2), s. [Lat. dilatio .] A delaying or delay; whaprocrastinationinst thou make of our willful dilations, but as a stubborn contempt?"- Bp . Hall : Con temp lat ions , bk. iv. IMG:content-2511.png:[blocks in formation] 1. Anat .: Any of the muscles, whose function is to dilate the parts on which it acts. "The buccina to res and the dilators of the nose are too strong in choleric people." - Arbuthnot. 2. Surg .: An instrument for extending parts, such as the eyelids, or dilating the walls of a cavity, the urethra, vagina, anus, .