WordGarden.ioexpander
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ɛkspˈændə/
US
Meanings
Noun
a device or tool that enlarges, stretches, or opens something
a medical or dental appliance that gradually stretches tissue or widens a palate
a software control or utility that reveals, decompresses, or expands hidden content
More meaningsFewer meanings
a graph or mathematical object with strong expansion properties
Beyond the definition
An expander is usually something that makes another thing bigger, wider, or roomier. Most often, it is a tool or device used to stretch or enlarge something physical, such as metal, shoes, pipes, or tissue in medical treatment. The word can also be used in a looser, figurative way for something that opens up your thinking or experience. You might hear about a chest expander for exercise or a "mind expander" such as a book, idea, or trip that helps you see more than you did before.
The word "expander" refers to something that causes another thing to increase in size, width, capacity, or range. In the most common sense, it names a tool, device, or part that makes something expand physically. A plumber may use a pipe expander to widen the end of a copper tube, and a shoe expander can stretch a tight pair of shoes to make them more comfortable. In medicine, a "tissue expander" is a special device placed under the skin so extra skin can grow for reconstructive surgery.
The word also appears in technical fields. In technology, a "port expander" or "bus expander" adds more connections and increases what a system can handle. In older fitness use, a "chest expander" is an exercise device with bands or springs that you pull to build strength.
Sometimes the word is used figuratively. A "mind expander" is an idea, activity, or experience that opens your thinking and helps you see the world in a broader way. Across all of these uses, the central idea stays the same: an expander is something that creates more space, more reach, or more possibility than there was before.
Examples
- 1
Dental device
The orthodontist said she would need an expander before getting braces.
- 2
Productivity software
I use a text expander at work to fill in my email address and other repeated phrases.
- Phrasetext expander
a program that inserts saved text when you type a shortcut
- 3
Electronics
The engineer added an expander to the circuit board so it could handle more inputs.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- expander