distendverb [ I ]
uk/dɪˈstend/us/dɪˈstend/(usually of the stomach or other part of the body) to swell and become large (as if) by pressure from inside:
In the refugee centres we saw many children whose stomachs were distended because of lack of food.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Stretching the body
- crane
- extend
- outstretched
- reach
- stretch
- stretch (yourself) out
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Becoming bigger
distension
noun [ U ] uk/dɪˈsten.ʃən/us/dɪˈsten.ʃən/specialized