What does "elongate" mean?
To make (something) long or longer, for example, by pulling or stretching; to make (something) elongated; to extend, to lengthen.
Elongate
/ɪˈlɒŋɡeɪt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make (something) long or longer, for example, by pulling or stretching; to make (something) elongated; to extend, to lengthen.
- Grammar: elongate is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: stretch, backstretches, continue, double math period.
- Useful contrasts: aspidiske, truncated, abridged version.
- Usage evidence: Stretching out the rubber band will elongate it considerably.
How to use "elongate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "elongate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "elongate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "elongate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "elongate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "elongate" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "stretch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "elongate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make (something) long or longer, for example, by pulling or stretching; to make (something) elongated; to extend, to lengthen. transitive
"VVhen the muſcles of the heart cease to act, the refluent blood again diſtends or elongates them; and thus irritated they contract as before."
- 2 make long or longer by pulling and stretching wordnet
- 3 Followed by from: to move to or place (something) at a distance from another thing; to remove. obsolete, transitive
"[L]et the cõmon house of easement [i.e., the outhouse] be ouer some water, or els elongated from the house."
- 4 To become long or longer, for example, by being pulled or stretched; to become elongated. intransitive
"Here, Mr. Lorry perceived the reflexion on the wall to elongate, and Mr. Cruncher rose and stepped forward."
- 5 Of a plant part: to grow long; also, to have a long and slender or tapering form. intransitive
"Shepherd’s-purse Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. […] FLOWERS White, blooming March–December; inflorescence of racemes, elongating greatly with fruit; […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Followed by from: to be at a distance, or move away, from a thing; to depart; (specifically, astronomy) of a planet, star, or other astronomical object: to appear to recede from the sun or a fixed point in the celestial sphere. intransitive, obsolete
"[A]bout Capo Frio in Brasilia, the south point [of the compass] varieth tvvelve degrees unto the VVeſt, and about the mouth of the Straites of Magellan five or ſix; but elongating from the coaſt of Braſilia tovvard the ſhore of Africa it varyeth Eaſtvvard, and arriving at Capo de las Agullas, it reſteth in the Meridian, and looketh neither vvay."
Adjective
- 1 Elongated, extended, lengthened; (especially biology) having a long and slender form.
"Painted turtles lay oval, elongate eggs."
Adjective
- 1 having notably more length than width; being long and slender wordnet
- 2 (of a leaf shape) long and narrow wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Stretching out the rubber band will elongate it considerably."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "elongate"?
Common synonyms include: stretch, backstretches, continue, double math period, drag out, draw.
How do you use "elongate" in a sentence?
Stretching out the rubber band will elongate it considerably.
How do you pronounce "elongate"?
Pronounced /ɪˈlɒŋɡeɪt/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English elongat, elongate (“kept away; different or remote in nature”, adjective), borrowed from Late Latin ēlongātus (“having been stretched out, elongated; prolonged, protracted; having been kept aloof, removed”) + Middle English -at (suffix forming participles). Ēlongātus is the perfect passive participle of ēlongō (“to prolong, protract; to keep aloof, remove; to depart, withdraw”), from Latin ē- (a variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’)) + longus (“extended, long, prolonged; far”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos (“long”, adjective)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Doublet of eloign. Cognates * French éloigner