LENGTH'EN, verb transitive length'n. 1. To extend in length; to make longer; to elongate; as, to lengthen a line. 2. To draw out or extend in time; to protract; to continue in duration; as, to lengthen life. The days lengthen from December to June. 3. To extend; as, to lengthen a discourse or a dissertation. 4. To draw out in pronunciation; as, to lengthen a sound or a syllable. This verb is often followed by out, which may be sometimes emphatical, but in general is useless. What if I please to lengthen out his date? LENGTH'EN, verb intransitive To grow longer; to extend in length. A hempen rope contracts when wet, and lengthens when dry.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI