different between multiply vs distend

English

Etymology 1

From Old French multiplier, from Latin multiplic?, from multi (“many”) + plic? (“I fold”).

The noun presumably derives from the verb.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?l?t?-pl?, IPA^(key): /?m?lt?pla?/

Verb

multiply (third-person singular simple present multiplies, present participle multiplying, simple past and past participle multiplied)

1. (transitive) To increase the amount, degree or number of (something).
   • 1786', Fisher Ames, Lucius Junius Brutus

     The motives to refuse obedience to government are many and strong ; impunity will multiply and enforce them

   • 1843, Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London

     It would indeed be easy to multiply modern authorities respecting locustal food; one more authority shall suffice, from which it will appear that the Arabs make a sort of locust bread.

2. (transitive, arithmetic, with by) To perform multiplication on (a number).

3. (intransitive) To grow in number.
4. (intransitive) To breed or propagate.
5. (intransitive, arithmetic) To perform multiplication.

6. (transitive, rare) To be a factor in a multiplication with (another factor).
   • 1983, Graham Flegg, Numbers, 2002 Dover edition, ?ISBN, page 154 [1]:

     This follows a similar process, counters having to be removed and replaced at each stage of the remaining part of the calculation except the final one, where 2 multiplies 3 to give 6.

   • 1993, Edward T. Dowling, Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Mathematical Methods for Business and Economics, ?ISBN, page 14 [2]:

     Of all the possible combinations of factors above, only ${\displaystyle (2\cdot 4)+(3\cdot 5)=23}$. Carefully arranging the factors, therefore, to ensure that 2 multiplies 4 and 3 multiplies 5, we have

     ${\displaystyle 6x^{2}+23x+20=(2x+5)(3x+4)}$

Synonyms

• Synonym: manifold

Related terms

Translations

Noun

multiply (plural multiplies)

1. (computer science) An act or instance of multiplying.
   • 1975, Byte (issues 1-8, page 14)

     The extended instruction set may double the speed again if a lot of multiplies and divides are done.

Etymology 2

multiple +? -ly.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?l?t?-pl?, IPA^(key): /?m?lt?pli/

Adverb

multiply (not comparable)

1. In many or multiple ways.

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??st?nd/
• Rhymes: -?nd

Verb

distend (third-person singular simple present distends, present participle distending, simple past and past participle distended)

1. (intransitive) To extend or expand, as from internal pressure; to swell
   • 1975', Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 147]:

     I begin to hate the theater, the feeling wickedly distended by histrionics, all the old gestures, clutchings, tears, and applications.

2. (transitive, reflexive, archaic) To extend; to stretch out; to spread out.
   • 1662 Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Dialogue 2):

     I begin to hate the theater, the feeling wickedly distended by histrionics, all my old gestures, clutchings, tears, and applications. These impure and frail matters are conteined within the angust concave of the Lunar Orb, above which with uninterrupted Series the things Celestial distend themselves.
3. (transitive) To cause to swell.
4. (biology) To cause gravidity.

Derived terms

• distensible

Translations

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “distend”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Anagrams

• destin'd

French

Verb

distend

1. third-person singular present indicative of distendre