lengthener

Lengthener is not a single standard term; it describes any device or method that increases the length of an object or structure, by adding segments or extending reach, or by elongating components.

In mechanical engineering and construction, lengtheners include telescoping tubes, extension rods, and screw-based extenders. They are used to increase reach, to join components at greater distances, or to align parts in assemblies. Many employ locks or clamps to maintain a chosen length, and can be manual, pneumatic, or hydraulic.

In robotics, photography, and industrial equipment, lengtheners often take the form of linear actuators, sliding rails, or adjustable arms that can be extended and fixed in place. In furniture and hardware contexts, extension pieces such as pull-out handles or accessory extenders can serve a similar purpose, though the term lengthener is less common in those domains.

In medicine, limb-lengthening procedures use devices designed to slowly separate bone segments to encourage new bone growth; these devices include external fixators and intramedullary lengthening nails. While these are not typically called lengtheners in professional terminology, they fulfill the same functional idea of increasing an object's length over time.

Etymology: the word lengthener is formed from lengthen plus the agent suffix -er. Usage varies by field, and some domains prefer more precise terms like extension, extender, or elongation device. See also extension, elongation, extender, telescoping tube, linear actuator, external fixator.