Word Confusion: Extend versus Extent

Third person present verb: extends
Past tense or past participle: extended
Present participle: extending

Plural: extents

• Bend

[Programming] To add features to a program, especially through the use of hooks

Verb, intransitive:
To be or become extended ¹

• Stretch out in length, duration, or in various or all directions

To reach, as to a particular point

To increase in length, area, scope, etc.

[Manège; of a horse] To come into an extended attitude

To reach a certain point in time or distance ²

Verb, transitive:
To stretch out ¹

• Draw out to the full length

To stretch, draw, or arrange in a given direction, or so as to reach a particular point, as a cord, wall, or line of troops

To stretch forth or hold out, as the arm or hand

To place at full length, especially horizontally, as the body or limbs

To increase the length or duration of; lengthen; prolong

To stretch out in various or all directions

• Expand
• Spread out in area

To enlarge the scope of, or make more comprehensive, as operations, influence, or meaning

To provide as an offer or grant

• Offer
• Grant
• Give

[Finance] To postpone (the payment of a debt) beyond the time originally agreed upon

To increase the bulk or volume of, especially by adding an inexpensive or plentiful substance

[Bookkeeping] To transfer figures from one column to another

[Law; British] To assess or value

[Law] To make a seizure or levy upon, as land, by a writ of extent

[Manège] To bring a horse into an extended attitude

To exert (oneself) to an unusual degree

[Archaic] To exaggerate

[Obsolete] To take by seizure

• Length, area, volume, or scope

Something extended, as a space

• A particular length, area, or volume
• Something having extension

[U.S. law] A writ, or a levy, by which a debtor’s lands are valued and transferred to the creditor, absolutely or for a term of years

[English law] A.k.a., writ of extent

• A writ to recover debts of a record due to the crown, under which land, property, etc., may be seized
• A seizure made under such a writ

[Logic] Extension

[Archaic] Assessment or valuation, as of land

We need to extend the functionality of that program.

Verb, intransitive:
The play extended its run for several years.

They extended their occupation to two adjacent convents.

Mounting research shows that optimism could extend your life.

The land extends five miles past the old barn.

Verb, transitive:
He extended the measuring tape as far as it would go.

Extend that line of soldiers past the woods and halfway through that ravine.

We should extend our visit a few days.

A huge tent was extended over the field.

The European powers extended their authority in Asia.

One has to be right to a certain extent.

We’ll never know the extent of the damage.

It was a view with the limitless extent of the skies.

The constable delivered a writ of extent.

You can, to some extent, condition your plants and soil for cold weather.

The physical extent of land conversion for human activities is only part of the story, however.

They all knew who Freud was, but that was about the extent of their common knowledge.

1. Its first known use was 1250–1300.

   Middle English extenden from the Latin extendere meaning to stretch out.

2. Late 13th century from the Anglo-French estendre, the Old French estendre meaning stretch out, extend, increase, from the Latin extendere stretch out, from ex- meaning out + tendere meaning to stretch.

   Early 14th century to value, assess.

   Late 14th century to stretch out, lengthen.

Middle English extente meaning assessment is from the Medieval Latin extenta, a noun use of the feminine of the Latin extentus, past participle of extendere meaning to extend.