To cause the particles or parts of to spread themselves or stand apart, thus increasing bulk without addition of substance; to make to occupy more space; to dilate; to distend; to extend every way; to enlarge; -- opposed to contract; as, to expand the chest; heat expands all bodies; to expand the sphere of benevolence.
To become widely opened, spread apart, dilated, distended, or enlarged; as, flowers expand in the spring; metals expand by heat; the heart expands with joy.
Increase in the kind or amount of services offered or increase in the number of people served or increase in the capacity to provide extended or new services.
Definition: To open a closed item in a tree structure. The Tree tabbed pane in the Nautilus file manager is a tree structure. To expand a folder in the Tree tabbed pane, click on the arrow next to the folder. Usage: Normal text rules. Example: You can expand and collapse the folders in the Tree tabbed pane.
In the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), to display the contents of (open) a directory using the Cell Directory Service (CDS) Browser. Contrast with collapse.
To view the index to see(usually) how words have been entered. Differs from thesaurus function in that terms are displayed alphabetically rather than in some subject hierarchy. Confusion Note: Syn. Dictionary, Neighbour, Browse, Wordwheel (old)
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"