elongate

1 of 2

verb

elon·​gate i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt How to pronounce elongate (audio)
(ˌ)ē-,
ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-
elongated; elongating

transitive verb

: to extend the length of

intransitive verb

: to grow in length

elongate

2 of 2

adjective

elon·​gate i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt How to pronounce elongate (audio)
(ˌ)ē-,
ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-
variants or elongated
i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgā-təd How to pronounce elongate (audio)
(ˌ)ē-,
ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-
1
: stretched out
2

Did you know?

Elongate is often found in scientific writing, but the adjective elongated is more common, and frequently used to describe body parts in discussions of anatomy. This was even the case when the superhero Elongated Man made his appearance back in 1960. But some other characters with the same powers—Plastic Man, Elastic Lad, and Mr. Fantastic—ended up having longer careers.

Examples of elongate in a Sentence

Verb These stretching exercises can help elongate your leg muscles. New medical procedures have elongated the careers of many athletes. Adjective the giraffe's elongate neck is thought to be the result of natural selection
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Saint Maud’s protagonist was a spindly, religious health aide who imagined her body elongating and stretching in gory, supernatural ways. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 An extraordinary heat wave collided with El Niño, which often coincides with greater dispersion of dengue, leading to wider proliferation of the A. aegypti mosquito and elongating its life span. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 The formula is infused with bamboo extract and fibers that more prominently define and elongate each lash from root to tip. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2024 The color palette is mostly dark neutral, punctuated by colorful hats in aubergine or turquoise that elongate the form. Colleen Barry, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Under ideal conditions, one species of seaweed, giant kelp, can elongate by around two feet per day. Saima May Sidik, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024 Every idea is repeated, elongated, and then repeated again, until all that marvelous tension from the early chapters is gone long before the finale arrives. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024 The rubies are elongated French cuts in channel setting is accented by fine milgrain. Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 According to a Turbo Melt employee, the biodegradable waste product elongates the lifetime and therefore the effectiveness of the magnesium chloride compound. Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Some feature high waists to elongate legs or pleats to conjure old-school élan worthy of Cary Grant. Charlie Teasdale, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023 The fragment, which was cleaved from its fecal parent with a pair of wire cutters, resembles a chunk of light-colored concrete with darker, elongate inclusions that Chin recognizes as bone. Karen Wright, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 The elongate white flower clusters (occasionally pale pink) support pollinators, and inky-black berries ripen by late summer or autumn. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 21 July 2023 This can help keep walls clear and elongate high ceilings, as exemplified in this kitchen designed by Andrea Pietragallo of Britt Design Studio. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 30 Mar. 2023 The small lake sits in the slightly elongate rift area where the eruption occurred. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elongate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Late Latin elongatus, past participle of elongare to withdraw, from Latin e- + longus

First Known Use

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elongate was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near elongate

Cite this Entry

“Elongate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elongate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elongate

1 of 2 verb
elon·​gate i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt How to pronounce elongate (audio)
elongated; elongating
: to make or grow longer
elongation
(ˌ)ē-ˌlȯŋ-ˈgā-shən
noun

elongate

2 of 2 adjective
variants or elongated
i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt-əd
: stretched out
especially : being much greater in length than in width

Medical Definition

elongate

1 of 2 verb
elon·​gate i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt How to pronounce elongate (audio)
elongated; elongating

transitive verb

: to extend the length of

intransitive verb

: to grow in length

elongate

2 of 2 adjective
variants or elongated
: long in proportion to width

More from Merriam-Webster on elongate

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