Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To lengthen in duration; protract.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A prolongation: used specifically of an extension or elongated mouthpiece or chamber on retorts for the manufacture of zinc products or for the handling of other oxids which are volatile at high temperatures.
  • To lengthen in time; extend the duration of; lengthen out.
  • To put off to a future time; postpone.
  • To extend in space or length: as, to prolong a straight line.
  • Synonyms and To protract, extend, continue, draw out.
  • To lengthen out; extend.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To extend in space or length.
  • transitive verb To lengthen in time; to extend the duration of; to draw out; to continue.
  • transitive verb To put off to a distant time; to postpone.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To extend in space or length.
  • verb transitive To lengthen in time; to extend the duration of; to draw out; to continue.
  • verb transitive To lengthen temporally; to put off to a distant time; to postpone.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb lengthen or extend in duration or space
  • verb lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English prolongen, from Old French prolonguer, from Late Latin prōlongāre : Latin prō-, forth; see pro– + Latin longus, long; see del- in Indo-European roots.]

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