elongated

1 of 2

adjective

elon·​gat·​ed i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgā-təd 

(ˌ)ē-,

ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-

variants or less commonly elongate

i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt 

(ˌ)ē-,

ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-

1

: stretched out : made or grown long or longer

an elongated sound

an elongated version of the text

… it's an elongated process, filled with false starts, reversals, setbacks, stumbling blocks and lots of experimentation.

—Steven Mintz

2

: long and slender : having a form notably long in comparison to its width

an elongated shape

an elongated head

I then made an elongated slot in each drawer for a recessed drawer pull.

—Matthias Wandel

On the building's outside were a glowing marquee, stately trim and elongated ornate windows.

—Domenica Bongiovanni

… a young … star that follows a very elongated orbit …

—Dennis Overbye

Note: The spelling elongate is used especially in technical and scientific contexts (such as descriptions of organisms or their parts).

an elongate fish

an elongate cell

… a perennial that grows as a rosette of elongate leaves …

—Mark D. Camara

… the striations parallel the elongate shape of the stone …

—Robert M. Thorson

The Black Hills uplift is in the shape of an elongate dome comprising an area about 125 miles long and about 60 miles wide.

—U.S. Geological Survey

elongated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of elongate entry 1

Examples of elongated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Despite looking and feeling like one elongated shot, the episode was actually filmed in four chunks since production could only shoot for about 90 minutes a day. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 26 Mar. 2025

Finally, the shape of Earth's orbit can change slightly, from more elongated to less elongated (our average distance from the sun doesn't change). —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025

The oarfish is a mysterious deep-sea fish known for its elongated, ribbon-like body and shimmering silver scales. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025

Sawfish, related to rays, skates and sharks, are named for their elongated, flat snout that contains a row of teeth on each side. —Curt Anderson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2025

Lenses that are less spherical and more elongated, in contrast, can produce a similar phenomenon called an Einstein Cross, in which four distinct images are produced around the lensing galaxy. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025

However, as the comet recedes from the sun, planetary perturbations will make the orbit even more elongated, so the next return to perihelion (of whatever of it is that is still left of it) will be about 600,000 years hence. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2025

Another catchy song with elongated, ethereal harmonies that capture the temptation of infidelity. —Bryan West, The Tennessean, 18 Apr. 2024

Worm lizards are well adapted for underground life, with elongated bodies, reduced or no limbs, rudimentary eyes and tough, ring-like scales. —Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of elongate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 2