dilates

Dilates is the third-person singular present form of the verb dilate. It describes the action of making something wider, larger, or more open, or of something becoming wider by its own accord. The term derives from Latin dilatare, meaning to spread out or unfold.

In medicine, dilation refers to widening of bodily passages or vessels. Pupil dilation, or mydriasis, increases the pupil size and is used for eye exams or surgeries; it can be caused by autonomic signals or by drugs. Vasodilation is the widening of blood vessels, which increases blood flow and can lower blood pressure. Bronchodilation is dilation of the airways and is relevant in treating asthma and COPD. Some medicines intentionally dilate ducts or vessels, while other conditions cause dilation as a secondary effect.

In geometry, dilation is a transformation that changes the size of a figure but not its shape; it is defined by a center and a scale factor. The verb "dilates" can describe the result of a dilation, e.g., a triangle dilates by a factor of two about a center, producing a larger similar figure.

Etymology and usage notes: dilates is used across disciplines to describe expansion or enlargement, whether of an anatomical structure, a geometric figure, or an abstract concept of growth. The term emphasizes widening rather than changing form.