v. Pa. pple. 5 expande. [ad. L. expandĕre, f. ex- (see EX- pref.1) + pandĕre to spread. Cf. OF. espandre, mod.F. épandre to diffuse, scatter: see SPAND.]
1. trans. To spread out; to spread out flat or smooth; to open out, unfold; † to remove the folds or wrinkles from, to smooth (the forehead); also, to spread out to view, display. lit. and fig.
1432–50. [see EXPANDED].
a. 1667. Cowley, Ess. Avarice, 130. You laugh now, and expand your careful Brow.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, V. (1723), 264. The upper … Stratum that was expanded over those Valleys and Plains.
1706. J. Logan, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., X. 145. Money, like a mistress coming in view, expanded its charms.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XII. 105. Expand thy sails, Ply the strong oar, and catch the nimble gales.
1768. Beattie, Minstr., II. xxvii. Where yon oak expands her arms.
1770. Gibbon, Autobiog. (1796), 136. The descent of Eneas … to the world of spirits, expands an awful and boundless prospect.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, VI. xx. Here the rose expands Her paradise of leaves.
1848. L. Hunt, Jar of Honey, x. 132. Sicily then lay expanded like a map beneath our eyes.
1877. J. D. Chambers, Div. Worship, 52. Stoles as a rule should not be expanded at the extremities.
b. To develop what is implicit in (a statement); to write out in full what is expressed by (a graphical contraction). Also in Alg. to work out the processes indicated by the terms of a contracted expression and state the result in full; to express at length in a series.
1802. Woodhouse, in Phil. Trans., XCII. 88. To find the value of the area, x·. (1 + x)–1 must be expanded, and the integrals of the several terms taken.
1858. Todhunter, Algebra, 296. Expand each of the following expressions to four terms.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, xx. § 824. Let us examine, expand, and explain this fact.
Mod. The editor has expanded the contractions in the MS.
† c. To give ample utterance to, ‘pour out’ (one’s feelings); refl. to manifest unrestrainedly one’s feelings; to overflow. Obs. Cf. Fr. épancher.
1656–81. Blount, Glossogr., Expand, to declare or utter.
1660. trans. Amyraldus’ Treat. Relig., I. ii. 19. He takes pleasure to expand himself in acts of goodness towards his creatures.
1801. Fuseli, Lect. Art, i. (1848), 357. The adoring figure of a priest … expanding his gratitude at the shrine of the god whose arrows avenged his wrongs.
2. intr. for refl. To spread itself out; to unfold, open out; to develop. Const. into, to.
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, II. 859. Expand on hie, ga far about the wall.
1680. Dryden, Epit. Sir P. Fairborne’s Tomb, in Examen Poeticum (1693), 443. Like rising flames expanding in their height.
1684. R. H., Sch. Recreat. (1696), 29. Stars that will expand in Flame, and appear like natural Stars.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 6. A weary waste expanding to the skies.
1776. Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), III. 675. Flowers … expand at 6 or 7, and close at 2 in the afternoon.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. v. 53. Hailed its folds with three cheers as they expanded in the cold midnight breeze.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. viii. 59. Streams … expanding here and there to deep green lakes.
1882. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., II. 391. The Wickliffity ‘Known-men’ … of Henry VIII.’s day, expanded into the ‘Gospellers’ of Edward VI.’s reign.
b. To ‘open out’; to grow communicative.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. i. (1865), 5. How would he chirp, and expand over a muffin.
3. trans. ‘To spread out every way’ (J.); to cause to fill a larger space; to widen the boundaries, increase the area or capacity of; to dilate, enlarge: a. a material object. Also refl.
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 49. What Bodies are expanded by being frozen.
1707. Floyer, Physic. Pulse-Watch, 217. All the hot Passions of Anger, Joy, expand the Spirits, and give them a more vehement Motion.
1796. Hutton, Math. Dict., I. 456/1. Air compressed or condensed, as soon as the compressing or condensing force is removed, expands itself by its elastic power to its former dimensions.
1835. Macaulay, Sir J. Mackintosh, Ess. (1854), I. 315/1. [The editor] has thus succeeded in expanding the volume into one of the thickest … that we ever saw.
Mod. The object of this gymnastic exercise is to expand the chest.
b. an immaterial object. Also refl.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. ix. 12. A Religion … did expand her self … by a meer passive way of fortitude.
1838. Prescott, Ferd. & Is., II. xviii. The grand object to which he [Columbus] dedicated himself seemed to expand his whole soul.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xviii. 333. Would these … changes … diminish or expand the faith … of the Chosen People?
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. App. 626. The longer version only expands, and in no way contradicts, the shorter one.
4. intr. for refl. To increase in bulk, swell; to become dilated or enlarged.
1807–26. S. Cooper, First Lines Surg. (ed. 5), 403. To wet the sponge and make it expand.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 2. Cast iron expands in passing from the fluid to the solid state.
1854. Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 202. When air is warmed it expands and becomes lighter.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 789. The pith very soon begins to become turgid and to expand.
fig.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, i. Her heart expanded in momentary joy.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, I. 47. Such is a brief outline of the enterprise … which continually expanded in his mind.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., ii. 18. As his knowledge and power of reasoning expand under instruction.
1885. Manch. Exam., 28 Sept., 4/7. Our trade with China is steadily expanding.
