Make five words out of one...

[Cherry (Alcock)]

diamond

moan
amnio
nomad
domain
amid

average

[Bertie Horak]

Nice Cherry, even a 6-letter word in there!

average

eager
ever
gear
grave
agave

pitcher

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Thanks Bertie - thought a bit harder about the words to make for a change and have challenged myself to a minimum of 4 letters. 

pitcher

retch
tricep
epic
price
thrice

anthrax

[Clive Symes]

ANTHRAX

Tan
Ran
Rant
Art
Hat
                                          (Georg, for you - ECDYSIS    Ye     Sec    ides   id      icy
                                                                                  cess  ice     dice   side   dye
                                                                                  yes    die    is       dicey disc
                                                                             
xylocarp                             

[Cherry (Alcock)]

xylocarp 

proxy
coxa
copy
lycra
ploy

absolve

[Bertie Horak]

Yup, Cherry, I also try to avoid 2- or 3-letter words, and only add them when I'm a bit stuck.

absolve

slave
love
slob
blasé
veal

verdant

[Clive Symes]

verdant

dent
vent
rent
advent
vane


verdict

[Cherry (Alcock)]

verdict

divert
evict
drive
dire
direct

blinker

[Clive Symes]

blinker

bike
bilk
berk
birl
rink


belabour

[Cherry (Alcock)]

belabour

bauble
blur
rubble
earl
aloe

confuse

[Clive Symes]

confuse

nose
cone
once
ounce
scone

Essence

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Essence

scene
sees
sense
secs
seen

(tough one - not sure secs applies but wth!)

dangles

[Michael Alexander]

dangles


angel         lads
glade         slag
glen           snag
gas           lands
nag           sang
lag            sand
glad           and
sad           leads
dan           ladens
legs           lends



romance

(Thanks to my Daughter Shannon for the above answers!)

[Bertie Horak]

Well done Shannon!  For a moment there I thought Mike had TOO much time on his hands!

[Michael Alexander]

@BErtie..Just showed Shannon..."Aaagh! Uncle Bertie!)