enlarger
UK[ɪnˈlɑːdʒə]US[ɪnˈlɑːrdʒər]
n
A device or apparatus used to make something larger, especially a machine for producing photographic prints that are bigger than the original negative.
Morpheme Breakdown
en
large
er
en
cause to be
large
big
er
agent/instrument
Etymology
The word 'enlarger' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the verb 'enlarge' with the addition of the agent suffix. The verb 'enlarge' entered Middle English from Anglo-French enlarger, itself from the Latin prefix in- (here meaning "to cause to be") combined with largus ("abundant, spacious"). The core semantic shift from "abundant" to "physically big" occurred in Old French. The suffix -er, of Germanic origin, is one of the most productive in English for creating nouns that denote an instrument or machine, as seen in 'mixer,' 'toaster,' or 'projector.' Thus, an 'enlarger' is literally "a thing that causes something to become large," a meaning perfectly realized in its primary application to photography.
Analysis
Structure: en (cause to be) + large (big) + er (agent/instrument)
en: From Old French, ultimately from Latin in-, a prefix meaning "in, into, cause to be."
large: From Old French large, meaning "broad, wide, generous," from Latin largus meaning "abundant, copious."
er: From Old English -ere, an agent noun suffix indicating a person or thing that performs an action.
Examples
He used a darkroom enlarger to make poster-sized prints from his 35mm film negatives.
The digital age has made traditional photographic enlargers largely obsolete.
This software acts as a virtual image enlarger, using algorithms to increase picture resolution.