to draw out or extend (oneself, a body, limbs, wings, etc.) to the full length or extent (often followed by out): to stretch oneself out on the ground.
to hold out, reach forth, or extend (one's arm, head, etc.).
to extend, spread, or place (something) so as to reach from one point or place to another: to stretch a rope across a road.
to draw tight or taut: to stretch the strings of a violin.
to lengthen, widen, distend, or enlarge by tension: to stretch a rubber band.
to draw out, extend, or enlarge unduly: The jacket was stretched at the elbows.
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.
to extend or strain (oneself) to the utmost, as by intense exertion; tax.
to increase the quantity of (a beverage, food, paint, etc.) by dilution or admixing: They caught the bartender stretching the gin with water.
Radioand 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)
to recline at full length (usually followed by out): to stretch out on a couch.
to extend the hand or to reach, as for something.
to extend over a distance or area or in a particular direction: The forest stretches for miles.
to extend in time: His memory stretches back to his early childhood.
to stretch oneself by extending the limbs and lengthening the muscles to the utmost: to stretch and yawn.
to become stretched, or admit of being stretched, to greater length, width, etc., as any elastic or ductile material.
Radioand Television. to reduce the pace or slow down the action of a radio or television program.
noun
an act or instance of stretching.
the state of being stretched.
a continuous length, distance, tract, or expanse: a stretch of meadow.
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.
an extent in time; duration: for a stretch of ten years.
elasticity or capacity for extension.
Slang. a term of imprisonment: He's doing a stretch in the pen.
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.
(initial capital letter)a nickname for a tall, lanky person.
adjective
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.
(of yarn) modified or twisted so as to afford high elasticity.
Also stretched.of or relating 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 of stretch
before 900;Middle Englishstrecchen (v.), Old Englishstreccan; cognate with Dutchstrekken,Germanstrecken; akin to Old Englishstræc firm, hard, Middle Dutchstrac stiff. See stare, stark
Related formsstretch·a·ble, adjectivestretch·a·bil·i·ty, nounnon·stretch·a·ble, adjectivepre·stretch, verb (used with object), nounun·stretch·a·ble, adjectiveun·stretched, adjectivewell-stretched, adjective
Synonyms for stretch
5. See lengthen. 11. lie down. 20. range, reach, compass.
Old English streccan, from Proto-Germanic *strakjanan (cf. Danish strække, Swedish sträcka, Old Frisian strekka, Old High German strecchan, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Old High German, German strecken "to stretch"), perhaps a variant of the root of stark, or else from PIE root *strenk- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (see strain).
Meaning "to extend (the limbs or wings)" is from c.1200; that of "to lay out for burial" is from early 13c. To stretch one's legs "take a walk" is from c.1600. Meaning "to lengthen by force" first recorded late 14c.; figurative sense of "to enlarge beyond proper limits, exaggerate," is from 1550s. 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.
1540s, "act of stretching," from stretch (v.); meaning "unbroken continuance of some activity" is first recorded 1680s; meaning "straightaway of a race course" (e.g. home stretch) is recorded from 1841.
