dilatar

to dilate

verb dee-lah-TAHR Rare

Origin: Latin dilatare (to spread out)

Also means

to delay

Usage Note

Dilatar has two distinct registers: in medicine it means to dilate (pupils, cervix, blood vessels), and in formal or legal Spanish it means to prolong or put off (dilatar el proceso). The reflexive dilatarse also means to expand, as in materials under heat. The two senses can lead to confusion if context is unclear.

Examples

"La luz intensa hace que las pupilas se dilaten."

Natural Translation

Intense light causes the pupils to dilate.

Literal Translation

Intense light makes the pupils dilate themselves.

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