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to inflate

to inflate

6.5
To make compressed computer files larger so you can use them
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈfleɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : descomprimir

Examples

  • I I multiply that, I inflate it and then I find the difference.

  • The other snatched the cellophaned shape—which the older man saw was a basketball-inflating needle.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • To open the file, you must first inflate the compressed data using the software tool.

  • When the programmer ran the code, it successfully inflated the compressed data stream back to its original format.

  • The application allows users to inflate their files, restoring them to their full size after compression.

Synonyms

to uncompress
vsto inflate
  • Specialized
6.3

Make a file or folder return to its original size and form

is specific to expanding DEFLATE compressed streams back to their original form

Surface Forms

inflate infinitive
inflated past
inflated past participle
inflating present participle
inflates third person singular

Morphology

inflate = flate (semi-transparent) = in + flate

The computing sense ('decompress/expand') maps to the general idea of making something larger again; the morphological cue is present but the usage is technical.

Etymology

Inflate comes from the Latin parts in- 'into' and flare 'to blow', like blowing something back to its original size. So in computing to inflate data means to expand compressed files back into their full, original form.