vasodilating
|vas-o-di-lat-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌveɪzoʊˈdaɪleɪtɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌveɪzəʊˈdaɪleɪtɪŋ/
(vasodilate)
blood vessels widened
Etymology
'vasodilate' originates from a combination of the combining form 'vaso-' and the verb 'dilate'. 'Vaso-' comes from Latin 'vas' meaning 'vessel', and 'dilate' derives from Latin 'dilatāre' meaning 'to spread or expand'.
'vasodilate' was formed in modern medical English by combining the New Latin/combining form 'vaso-' (from Latin 'vas') with the verb 'dilate' (from Latin 'dilatāre'). The compound entered technical usage in the 19th–20th century medical vocabulary and produced derived forms such as 'vasodilation' and 'vasodilator'.
Initially coined to denote the act of widening blood vessels ('to cause vessels to expand'), it has retained this specialized medical meaning in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle of 'vasodilate': causing or undergoing dilation (widening) of blood vessels.
The drug is vasodilating the coronary arteries to improve blood flow.
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Adjective 1
having the property of producing vasodilation; tending to widen blood vessels.
Vasodilating side effects such as flushing and headache were reported in some patients.
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Last updated: 2025/10/27 04:17