From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdilatedi‧late /daɪˈleɪt/ verb [intransitive, transitive] WIDEif a hollow part of your body dilates or if something dilates it, it becomes wider OPP contract dilated pupils —dilation /daɪˈleɪʃən/ noun [uncountable] → dilate on/upon something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
dilate• If it is hungry, the moment the food dish appears the animal's pupils will dilate.• The blood vessels then dilate, allowing blood to flow more easily.• When caffeine blocks these receptors, blood vessels dilate, increasing the filtration rate and producing more urine.• The irises had seemed to dilate into black pools of despair.• The doctor put drops in my eyes to dilate my pupils.• To catch the voice of truth itself dilating on the great problems of reality will be one of my prime technical aims.• Roughly a quarter of all patients respond to conventional drugs that dilate the vessels.• Yet he wonders whether the human soul can dilate to comprehend a world which lacks localities and the native affections they inspire.Origin dilate (1300-1400) French dilater, from Latin latus “wide” 