Stretch

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Stretch, v. t. [OE. strecchen, AS. streccan; akin to D. strekken, G. strecken, OHG. strecchen, Sw. sträcka, Dan. strække; cf. AS. stræck, strec, strong, violent, G. strack straight; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to E. strong. Cf. Straight.].

•  To reach out; to extend; to put forth.  [1913 Webster]

  "And stretch forth his neck long and small."  [1913 Webster]

  "I in conquest stretched mine arm."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw out to the full length; to cause to extend in a straight line; as, to stretch a cord or rope.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to extend in breadth; to spread; to expand; as, to stretch cloth; to stretch the wings.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly.  [1913 Webster]

  "The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw or pull out to greater length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle.  [1913 Webster]

  "Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve."  [1913 Webster]
•  To exaggerate; to extend too far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch one's credit.  [1913 Webster]

  "They take up, one day, the most violent and stretched prerogative."  [1913 Webster]

Stretch, v. i. 

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "As far as stretcheth any ground."  [1913 Webster]
•  To extend or spread one's self, or one's limbs; as, the lazy man yawns and stretches.  [1913 Webster]
•  To be extended, or to bear extension, without breaking, as elastic or ductile substances.  [1913 Webster]

  "The inner membrane . . . because it would stretch and yield, remained umbroken."  [1913 Webster]
•  To strain the truth; to exaggerate; as, a man apt to stretch in his report of facts.  [1913 Webster]
•  To sail by the wind under press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward.  Ham. Nav. Encyc.  [1913 Webster]

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

Stretch, n. 

•  Act of stretching, or state of being stretched; reach; effort; struggle; strain; as, a stretch of the limbs; a stretch of the imagination.  [1913 Webster]

  "By stretch of arms the distant shore to gain."  [1913 Webster]

  "Those put a lawful authority upon the stretch, to the abuse of yower, under the color of prerogative."  [1913 Webster]
•  A continuous line or surface; a continuous space of time; as, grassy stretches of land.  [1913 Webster]

  "A great stretch of cultivated country."  [1913 Webster]

  "But all of them left me a week at a stretch."  [1913 Webster]
•  The extent to which anything may be stretched.  [1913 Webster]

  "Quotations, in their utmost stretch, can signify no more than that Luther lay under severe agonies of mind."  [1913 Webster]

  "This is the utmost stretch that nature can."  [1913 Webster]
•  The reach or extent of a vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.  [1913 Webster]
•  Course; direction; as, the stretch of seams of coal.  [1913 Webster]

To be on the stretch, to be obliged to use one's utmost powers. -- Home stretch. See under Home, a.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Stretch, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. draw or be drawn or admit of being drawn out into greater length or size.
2 tr. & intr. make or become taut.
3 tr. & intr. place or lie at full length or spread out (with a canopy stretched over them).
4 tr. (also absol.) a extend (an arm, leg, etc.). b (often refl.) thrust out one's limbs and tighten one's muscles after being relaxed.
5 intr. have a specified length or extension; extend (farmland stretches for many miles).
6 tr. strain or exert extremely or excessively; exaggerate (stretch the truth).
7 intr. (as stretched adj.) lying at full length.
--n.
1 a continuous extent or expanse or period (a stretch of open road).
2 the act or an instance of stretching; the state of being stretched.
3 (attrib.) able to stretch; elastic (stretch fabric).
4 a colloq. a period of imprisonment. b a period of service.
5 US the straight side of a racetrack.
6 Naut. the distance covered on one tack.

Idiom

at full stretch working to capacity. at a stretch
1 in one continuous period (slept for two hours at a stretch).
2 with much effort. stretch one's legs exercise oneself by walking. stretch marks marks on the skin resulting from a gain of weight, or on the abdomen after pregnancy.
stretch out
1 tr. extend (a hand or foot etc.).
2 intr. & tr. last for a longer period; prolong.
3 tr. make (money etc.) last for a sufficient time. stretch a point agree to something not normally allowed. stretch one's wings see WING.

Derivative

stretchable adj. stretchability n. stretchy adj. stretchiness n.

Etymology

OE streccan f. WG: cf. STRAIGHT

THESAURUS

Stretch

adaptability, adaptable, adaptive, add to, aesthetic distance, aggrandize, airing, amble, amplify, amplitude, and quarter, answer, archery ground, area, athletic field, athletics, augment, avail, badminton court, balloon, ballyhoo, baseball field, basketball court, be equal to, be lengthy, be prolonged, bear, belong, bend, billiard parlor, bit, bloat, bloating, blow up, bounce, bounciness, bouncy, bowling alley, bowling green, breadth, break, breaking point, breather, broaden, build, build up, bulk, bulk out, buoyance, buoyancy, buoyant, burlesque, calisthenics, caricature, carry, carry too far, clearance, compass, constitutional, continue, continuous tenure, course, court, cover, crane, crescendo, cricket ground, croquet ground, croquet lawn, daily dozen, day, deep space, depths of space, develop, diamond, diapason, dilate, dimensions, distance, distend, distension, distort, divergence, do, do it, drag out, draw, draw out, draw the longbow, drill, elastic, elasticity, elongate, elongation, embellish, encompass, enlarge, enlistment, environ, exaggerate, exercise, exercising, expand, expanse, expansion, extend, extend out, extensibility, extensile, extension, extent, extreme tension, fairway, farness, fateful moment, field, fill out, fill the bill, fit, flexibility, flexible, flexile, football field, forced march, fudge, fulfill, gamut, get by, gibbet, give, glaciarium, go, go around, go out, go to extremes, golf course, golf links, greaten, gridiron, gym, gymnasium, gymnastic exercises, gymnastics, hack it, hang, haul, heave, hike, hike up, hitch, hold, hour, hyperbolize, ice rink, increase, infield, infinity, inflate, inflation, instant, interval, isometrics, jaunt, juncture, just do, kairos, lay it on, leeway, length, lengthen, lengthen out, lengthening, lengthiness, let out, lie, light-years, linear measures, links, liveliness, lively, long time, longitude, longness, lynch, magnify, make, make much of, make the grade, march, margin, measure, meet, meet requirements, mileage, minute, moment, moment of truth, mush, neck, noose, orbit, outfield, outreach, outstretch, oval, overall length, overcharge, overdevelop, overdistend, overdistension, overdo, overdraw, overdrawing, overestimate, overexert, overexertion, overexpand, overexpansion, overextend, overextension, overpaint, overpraise, overreach, overreact, oversell, overspeak, overstate, overstrain, overstraining, overstress, overstretch, overstretching, overtax, overtaxing, pad, parade, parsecs, pass, pass muster, period, peripatetic journey, peripateticism, perpetuity, perspective, physical education, physical jerks, piece, pile it on, playground, playing field, playroom, point, polo ground, pool hall, poolroom, practice, pregnant moment, press, prison term, produce, production, prolong, prolongate, prolongation, promenade, protract, protraction, psychological moment, puff, puff up, pull, pull out, pump, pump up, purview, putting green, qualify, racecourse, rack, racket court, radius, raise, ramble, range, rarefy, reach, reach out, rebound, region, register, remoteness, resilience, resiliency, resilient, responsive, responsiveness, rink, roll, run, satisfy, saunter, scale, schlep, scop, scope, scrag, season, section, separation, serve, serve the purpose, setting-up exercises, skating rink, snap, snapping point, snowball, soccer field, space, span, spectrum, spell, spin out, sprawl, spread, spring, springiness, springy, squash court, stage, stand, stand on tiptoes, stand up, stint, straddle, straggle, strain, strain every nerve, straining, stress, stress and strain, stressfulness, stretch out, stretch the truth, stretchability, stretchable, stretchiness, stretching, stretchy, stride, string out, string up, stringing out, stroll, suffice, sufflate, supple, surround, sweat blood, sweep, swell, swelling, take in, take it, talk big, talk in superlatives, tauten, tax, taxing, tennis court, tense, tension, tenure, term, thrust out, tighten, time, time lag, tone, tonicity, tonus, tour, tour of duty, tout, track, tract, traipse, tramp, travesty, trudge, tug, tumefy, turf, turn, up, walk, walking tour, warp, way, ways, whet, while, whippy, widen, work, workout, yardage, yoga

ROGET THESAURUS

Stretch

Exertion

N exertion, effort, strain, tug, pull, stress, throw, stretch, struggle, spell, spurt, spirt, stroke of work, stitch of work, a strong pull a long pull and a pull all together, dead lift, heft, gymnastics, exercise, exercitation, wear and tear, ado, toil and trouble, uphill work, hard work, warm work, harvest time, labor, work, toil, travail, manual labor, sweat of one's brow, swink, drudgery, slavery, fagging, hammering, limae labor, industry, industriousness, operoseness, operosity, trouble, pains, duty, resolution, energy, laboring, laborious, operose, elaborate, strained, toilsome, troublesome, wearisome, uphill, herculean, gymnastic, palestric, hard-working, painstaking, strenuous, energetic, hard at work, on the stretch, laboriously, lustily, pugnis et calcibus, with might and main, with all one's might, with a strong hand, with a sledge hammer, with much ado, to the best of one's abilities, totis viribus, vi et armis, manibus pedibusque, tooth and nail, unguibus et rostro, hammer and tongs, heart and soul, through thick and thin, by the sweat of one's brow, suo Marte, aide-toi le ciel t'aidera, and still be doing, never done, buen principio la mitad es hecha, cosa ben fatta e' fatta due volie, it is better to wear out than to rust out, labor omnia vincit, labor, wide as the earth, has its summit in Heaven, le travail du corps delivre des peines de l'esprit, manu forti, ora et labora.

Space

N space, extension, extent, superficial extent, expanse, stretch, hyperspace, room, scope, range, field, way, expansion, compass, sweep, swing, spread, dimension, length, distance, size, volume, hypervolume, latitude, play, leeway, purchase, tolerance, room for maneuver, spare room, elbow room, house room, stowage, roomage, margin, opening, sphere, arena, open space, free space, void, waste, wildness, wilderness, moor, moorland, campagna, abyss, unlimited space, infinity, world, ubiquity, length and breadth of the land, proportions, acreage, acres, acres and perches, roods and perches, hectares, square miles, square inches, square yards, square centimeters, square meters, yards (clothing), ares, arpents, spacious, roomy, extensive, expansive, capacious, ample, widespread, vast, world-wide, uncircumscribed, boundless, shoreless, trackless, pathless, extended, extensively, wherever, everywhere, far and near, far and wide, right and left, all over, all the world over, throughout the world, throughout the length and breadth of the land, under the sun, in every quarter, in all quarters, in all lands, here there and everywhere, from pole to pole, from China to Peru, from Indus to the pole, from Dan to Beersheba, from end to end, on the face of the earth, in the wide world, from all points of the compass, to the four winds, to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Expansion

VB become larger &c (large), expand, widen, enlarge, extend, grow, increase, incrassate, swell, gather, fill out, deploy, take open order, dilate, stretch, distend, spread, mantle, wax, grow up, spring up, bud, bourgeon, shoot, sprout, germinate, put forth, vegetate, pullulate, open, burst forth, gain flesh, gather flesh, outgrow, spread like wildfire, overrun, be larger than, surpass, render larger &c (large), expand, spread, extend, aggrandize, distend, develop, amplify, spread out, widen, magnify, rarefy, inflate, puff, blow up, stuff, pad, cram, exaggerate, fatten.

Length

VB be long, stretch out, sprawl, extend to, reach to, stretch to, make a long arm, drag its slow length along, render long, lengthen, extend, elongate, stretch, prolong, produce, protract, let out, draw out, spin out, drawl, enfilade, look along, view in perspective, distend (expand).

Undueness

N undueness, malum prohibitum, impropriety, illegality, falseness, emptiness of title, invalidity of title, illegitimacy, loss of right, disfranchisement, forfeiture, usurpation, tort, violation, breach, encroachment, presumption, assumption, seizure, stretch, exaction, imposition, lion's share, usurper, pretender, undue, unlawful, unconstitutional, illicit, unauthorized, unwarranted, disallowed, unallowed, unsanctioned, unjustified, unentitled, disentitled, unqualified, disqualified, unprivileged, unchartered, illegitimate, bastard, spurious, supposititious, false, usurped, tortious, undeserved, unmerited, unearned, unfulfilled, forfeited, disfranchised, improper, unmeet, unfit, unbefitting, unseemly, unbecoming, misbecoming, seemless, contra bonos mores, not the thing, out of the question, not to be thought of, preposterous, pretentious, would-be, filius nullius.

Elasticity

VB stretch, flex, extend, distend, be elastic, bounce, spring back.

Exaggeration

N exaggeration, expansion, hyperbole, stretch, strain, coloring, high coloring, caricature, caricatura, extravagance, Baron Munchausen, men in buckram, yarn, fringe, embroidery, traveler's tale, fish story, gooseberry, storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing, puff, puffery, rant, figure of speech, facon de parler, stretch of fancy, stretch of the imagination, flight of fancy, false coloring, aggravation, exaggerated, overwrought, bombastic, hyperbolical, on stilts, fabulous, extravagant, preposterous, egregious, outre, highflying, hyperbolically, excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo.

VB exaggerate, magnify, pile up, aggravate, amplify, overestimate, hyperbolize, overcharge, overstate, overdraw, overlay, overshoot the mark, overpraise, make over much, over the most of, strain, strain over a point, stretch, stretch a point, go great lengths, spin a long yarn, draw with a longbow, shoot with a longbow, deal in the marvelous, out-Herod Herod, run riot, talk at random, heighten, overcolor, color highly, color too highly, broder, flourish, color, puff.