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distend

verb [I]
 
 
/dɪˈstend/

Definition

(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.Stretching the bodyBecoming biggerEnlarging and inflating distension
 
 
/-ˈsten.ʃən/ noun [U] specialized
(Definition of distend verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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