elongar

Elongar is a Portuguese verb meaning to elongate, lengthen, or stretch out something. It is used mainly in technical, scientific, or formal contexts—such as biology, medicine, physics, linguistics, and engineering. In everyday speech, speakers more often use alongar or esticar to describe stretching, with elongar carrying a sense of deliberate or measurable increase in length.

Etymology and cognates: The word derives from Latin elongare, formed from ex- “out” and longus “long.” It has cognates in other Romance languages, notably Spanish elongar.

Usage and grammar: Elongar is a regular -ar verb and follows standard conjugation patterns of this class. It is used transitively (elongar algo, to elongate something) and in passive forms (foi elongado, was elongated). The noun elongação denotes the act or result of elongation, while elongado describes something that has been elongated.

Notes on register: Elongar tends to appear in scientific, medical, or technical writing and may be considered less common in informal speech. In many contexts, especially everyday language, alongar or esticar are preferred for simple stretching, while elongar emphasizes a formal or measurable extension.

See also: elongação; alongar; alongamento.