Lengthen

Lengthen is a verb meaning to increase the length of something in physical dimension or duration. It describes making an object longer, extending a time interval, or increasing a measured length in geometry or other quantitative contexts.

Etymology: The word lengthen is formed from the noun length with the suffix -en, which creates verbs indicating causation or transformation. The sense of “cause to be longer” has long-standing use in English.

Usage and examples: In practical contexts, lengthening can involve adding material or adjusting parts to reach a desired dimension, or extending a timetable or deadline. In geometry, lengthening a segment means moving one endpoint to increase its distance from the other. In printing or typography, line length or spacing may be lengthened for readability. In phonetics or linguistics, vowel length can be lengthened under certain phonological conditions.

Related terms: Length, extend, and elongate are closely related. Lengthen is often used interchangeably with elongate, though elongate can imply gradual stretching in some contexts. The opposite action is shorten. See also measurements of length, linear expansion, and related engineering or mathematical contexts.