Widener

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device or attachment that makes a space, opening, or object broader than before
2. An add-on component or tool that increases the width of a surface, passage, or structure
3. Something fitted to a vehicle, garment, or fixture to expand its breadth or span

Etymology: "Widener" is a plain formation: the verb "widen", which comes from the adjective "wide", with the agent suffix "-er" added to name a thing that does the widening. The suffix has a longer pedigree than the English word it sits on. It descends from a Proto-Germanic ending that was borrowed into Latin as "-arius", an ending meaning "belonging to" or "connected with", which Old French took up as "-ier" and passed into Middle English as "-er". Old English already had its own form, "-ere", so the English suffix is a blend of inherited and borrowed material. The word itself is a simple compound in the sense that it adds a suffix to an existing English base, so its history lies mostly in that suffix. Its meaning follows directly from the parts: a device or piece that broadens something, such as an extra attachment fixed to a vehicle or tool to increase its width.

Synonyms: expander, extender