Definition of "dilatation" [dil•a•ta•tion]

• The act or process of expanding; dilation. (noun)
• The condition of being expanded or stretched. (noun)
• A dilated formation or part. (noun)
• Medicine The condition of being abnormally enlarged or dilated, as of an organ, orifice, or tubular structure: dilatation of the stomach. Also called dilation. (noun)
• Lengthy explanation or elaboration of a subject in writing or speech. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This phenomenon, which we call dilatation of the womb, is brought about by involuntary contractions of the muscle fibers in its wall, every point of which they draw upward."
• "The effect of this mixture is a dilatation, which is nearly as four thousand to unity; and the lead in your barrel exhibits another effect, which is the product of its bulk multiplied by its velocity."
• "The patient has the second step of the second trimester abortion performed by a gynecologist with special expertise in second trimester abortions using a method called dilatation and evacuation D&Ewhich involves dismembering the fetus, which is the safest method for second trimester abortions."