stretch definition | Dictionary.com

stretch

[strech]

–verb (used with object)

1.	to draw out or extend (oneself, a body, limbs, wings, etc.) to the full length or extent (often fol. by out): to stretch oneself out on the ground.

2.	to hold out, reach forth, or extend (one's arm, head, etc.).

3.	to extend, spread, or place (something) so as to reach from one point or place to another: to stretch a rope across a road.

4.	to draw tight or taut: to stretch the strings of a violin.

5.	to lengthen, widen, distend, or enlarge by tension: to stretch a rubber band.

6.	to draw out, extend, or enlarge unduly: The jacket was stretched at the elbows.

7.	to extend, force, or make serve beyond the normal or proper limits; strain: to stretch the imagination; to stretch the facts; to stretch food to feed extra guests; to stretch money to keep within a budget.

8.	to extend or strain (oneself) to the utmost, as by intense exertion; tax.

9.	to increase the quantity of (a beverage, food, paint, etc.) by dilution or admixing: They caught the bartender stretching the gin with water.

10.	Radio and Television. to prolong or slow down (action or pace) in order not to end too early: to stretch a show; to stretch the action two minutes.

–verb (used without object)

11.	to recline at full length (usually fol. by out): to stretch out on a couch.

12.	to extend the hand or to reach, as for something.

13.	to extend over a distance or area or in a particular direction: The forest stretches for miles.

14.	to extend in time: His memory stretches back to his early childhood.

15.	to stretch oneself by extending the limbs and lengthening the muscles to the utmost: to stretch and yawn.

16.	to become stretched, or admit of being stretched, to greater length, width, etc., as any elastic or ductile material.

17.	Radio and Television. to reduce the pace or slow down the action of a radio or television program.

–noun

18.	an act or instance of stretching.

19.	the state of being stretched.

20.	a continuous length, distance, tract, or expanse: a stretch of meadow.

21.	Horse Racing. the backstretch or homestretch of a racetrack.

22.	Baseball. a short windup, usually used to keep base runners from taking too long a lead, in which the pitcher starts the pitching motion with hands together at the waist, raises them to or above the head, brings them back to the waist, and, after a momentary pause, delivers the ball.

23.	an extent in time; duration: for a stretch of ten years.

24.	elasticity or capacity for extension.

25.	Slang. a term of imprisonment: He's doing a stretch in the pen.

26.	the act or fact of stretching or extending something beyond reasonable or proper limits: You wouldn't call her a genius by any stretch of the imagination. It's quite a stretch for me to believe his story.

27.	(initial capital letter) a nickname for a tall, lanky person.

–adjective

28.	made of synthetic or composite yarn having a sufficiently low denier or having been subjected to any of several special mechanical treatments to permit increased elasticity: stretch girdle; stretch pants.

29.	(of yarn) modified or twisted so as to afford high elasticity.

30.	Also, stretched. of or pertaining to a conveyance, as a limousine or airliner, whose seating area is expanded to carry more passengers or afford greater legroom and to allow space for other comforts and amenities.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME strecchen (v.), OE streccan; c. D strekken, G strecken; akin to OE stræc firm, hard, MD strac stiff. See stare, stark

Related forms:

stretch⋅a⋅ble, adjective

stretch⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun

Synonyms:
5. See lengthen. 11. lie down. 20. range, reach, compass.

Antonyms:
5, 16. shorten, shrink.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To stretch

stretch (strěch)

v. stretched, stretch·ing, stretch·es

v. tr.

To lengthen, widen, or distend: stretched the sweater out of shape.
To cause to extend from one place to another or across a given space: stretched the banner between two poles.
To make taut; tighten: stretched the tarpaulin until it ripped.
To reach or put forth; extend: stretched out his hand.
1. To extend (oneself or one's limbs, for example) to full length: stretched her calves before running.
2. To extend (oneself) when lying down: she stretched herself out on the couch.
3. To put to torture on the rack.
4. To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits: stretch the meaning of a word.
5. To subject to undue strain: to stretch one's patience.
6. To expand in order to fulfill a larger function: stretch a budget; stretch a paycheck.
7. To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution: stretch a meal by thinning the stew.
To wrench or strain (a muscle, for example).
1. To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits: stretch the meaning of a word.
2. To subject to undue strain: to stretch one's patience.
3. To expand in order to fulfill a larger function: stretch a budget; stretch a paycheck.
4. To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution: stretch a meal by thinning the stew.
1. To expand in order to fulfill a larger function: stretch a budget; stretch a paycheck.
2. To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution: stretch a meal by thinning the stew.
To prolong: stretch out an argument.
Informal To fell by a blow: stretched his opponent in the first round.

v. intr.

To become lengthened, widened, or distended.
To extend or reach over a distance or area or in a given direction: "On both sides of us stretched the wet plain" (Ernest Hemingway).
To lie down at full length: stretched out on the bed.
To extend one's muscles or limbs, as after prolonged sitting or on awakening.
To extend over a given period of time: "This story stretches over a whole generation" (William Golding).

The act of stretching or the state of being stretched.
The extent or scope to which something can be stretched; elasticity.
A continuous or unbroken length, area, or expanse: an empty stretch of highway.
A straight section of a racecourse or track, especially the section leading to the finish line.
1. A continuous period of time.
2. Slang A term of imprisonment: served a two-year stretch.
3. Informal The last stage of an event, period, or process.
Baseball A movement in which a pitcher, standing with the glove side facing home plate, raises both hands to the height of the head and then lowers them to the chest or waist for a short pause before pitching the ball. It is used as an alternative to a wind-up, especially when runners are on base.

adj.

Made of an elastic material that stretches easily: stretch pants.
Of, relating to, or being a vehicle, such as a limousine or passenger jet, having an extended seating area that provides extra space for more passengers, leg room, or amenities.

[Middle English strecchen, from Old English streccan.]
stretch'a·bil'i·ty n., stretch'a·ble adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Stretch

Stretch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stretched; p. pr. & vb. n. Stretching.] [OE. strecchen, AS. streccan; akin to D. strekken, G. strecken, OHG. strecchen, Sw. str["a]cka, Dan. str[ae]kke; cf. AS. str[ae]ck, strec, strong, violent, G. strack straight; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to E. strong. Cf. Straight.]

1. To reach out; to extend; to put forth.

And stretch forth his neck long and small. --Chaucer.

I in conquest stretched mine arm. --Shak.

2. To draw out to the full length; to cause to extend in a straight line; as, to stretch a cord or rope.

3. To cause to extend in breadth; to spread; to expand; as, to stretch cloth; to stretch the wings.

4. To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly.

The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain. --Shak.

5. To draw or pull out to greater length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle.

Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve. --Doddridge.

6. To exaggerate; to extend too far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch one's credit.

They take up, one day, the most violent and stretched prerogative. --Burke.

Stretch

Stretch\, v. i. 1. To be extended; to be drawn out in length or in breadth, or both; to spread; to reach; as, the iron road stretches across the continent; the lake stretches over fifty square miles.

As far as stretcheth any ground. --Gower.

2. To extend or spread one's self, or one's limbs; as, the lazy man yawns and stretches.

3. To be extended, or to bear extension, without breaking, as elastic or ductile substances.

The inner membrane . . . because it would stretch and yield, remained umbroken. --Boyle.

4. To strain the truth; to exaggerate; as, a man apt to stretch in his report of facts. [Obs. or Colloq.]

5. (Naut.) To sail by the wind under press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Stretch out, an order to rowers to extend themselves forward in dipping the oar.

Stretch

Stretch\, n. 1. Act of stretching, or state of being stretched; reach; effort; struggle; strain; as, a stretch of the limbs; a stretch of the imagination.

By stretch of arms the distant shore to gain. --Dryden.

Those put a lawful authority upon the stretch, to the abuse of yower, under the color of prerogative. --L'Estrange.

2. A continuous line or surface; a continuous space of time; as, grassy stretches of land.

A great stretch of cultivated country. --W. Black.

But all of them left me a week at a stretch. --E. Eggleston.

3. The extent to which anything may be stretched.

Quotations, in their utmost stretch, can signify no more than that Luther lay under severe agonies of mind. --Atterbury.

This is the utmost stretch that nature can. --Granville.

4. (Naut.) The reach or extent of a vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.

5. Course; direction; as, the stretch of seams of coal.

To be on the stretch, to be obliged to use one's utmost powers.

Home stretch. See under Home, a.

Language Translation for : stretch

Spanish: estirar, extender,

German: (sich) strecken,

Japanese: 伸ばす

More Translations »

stretch (v.)

O.E. streccan, from P.Gmc. *strakjanan (cf. Dan. strække, Swed. sträcka, O.Fris. strekka, O.H.G. strecchan, M.L.G., M.Du., O.H.G., Ger. strecken "to stretch"), perhaps a variant of the root of stark, or else from PIE base *strenk- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (see strain). Meaning "to extend (the limbs or wings)" is from c.1205; that of "to lay out for burial" is from c.1225. To stretch one's legs "take a walk" is from 1607. Meaning "to lengthen by force" first recorded 1398; fig. sense of "to enlarge beyond proper limits, exaggerate," is from 1553. Stretch limo first attested 1973. Stretch marks is attested from 1960. Stretcher "canvas frame for carrying the sick or wounded" is first attested 1845.

stretch (n.)

1541, "act of stretching," from stretch (v.); meaning "unbroken continuance of some activity" is first recorded 1689; meaning "straightaway of a race course" (e.g. home stretch) is recorded from 1841.

Main Entry: ¹stretch
Pronunciation: 'strech
Function: transitive verb
1 : to extend in length stretch the legmuscles before running>
2 : to enlarge or distend especially by force stretch intransitive senses
1 : to become extended in length or breadth
2 : to extend one's body or limbs

Main Entry: ²stretch
Function: noun
: the act of stretching : the state of being stretched stretch—C. R. Houck>

stretch

In addition to the idioms beginning with stretch, also see at a stretch; by any stretch.

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