Prolonger

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An object or agent that causes something to last longer than usual
2. A factor or device which increases the length of time before an event ends
3. Anything that serves to make the continuation of a state or activity longer

Etymology: The word is simply prolong with the agent suffix "-er" attached, and the suffix has a longer ancestry than the verb it sits on. "Prolong" came into English from Late Latin "prolongare" (to lengthen, from "pro-" forward and "longus" long), while "-er" travelled a separate route: it descends from Latin "-arius", which in Old French became "-ier" and passed into Middle English as "-er". Its earliest roots reach back to Old English "-ere", where it marked a person who performed an action, as in "baker" or "hunter." The result is a word that combines a Latin verb with an English agent ending, which is why it sounds at home beside native words like "lengthener" or "keeper." It is a straightforward formation, built as needed to name whatever prolongs something.

Synonyms: extender, lengthener, dilator, stretcher

Antonyms: shortener, compressor