stretch

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English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English strecchen, from Old English streċċan (“to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out, prostrate”), from Proto-Germanic *strakjaną, *strakkijaną (“to stretch, make taut or tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *streg-, *treg- (“stiff, rigid”). Cognate with Dutch strekken (“to stretch, straighten”), German strecken (“to stretch, straighten, elongate”), Danish strække (“to stretch”), Swedish sträcka (“to stretch”), Dutch strak (“taut, tight”), Albanian shtriqem (“to stretch”). More at stark.

Pronunciation [edit]

Verb [edit]

stretch (third-person singular simple present stretches, present participle stretching, simple past and past participle straught (obsolete), straight (obsolete) or stretched)

  1. (transitive) To lengthen by pulling.
    I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.
  2. (intransitive) To lengthen when pulled.
    The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point.
  3. (transitive) To pull tight.
    First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum.
  4. (figuratively, transitive) To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
    I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days.
  5. (figuratively, transitive) To be inaccurate by exaggeration.
    To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably.
  6. (intransitive) To extend from limit point to limit point.
    The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble.
  7. (intransitive or transitive) To extend one’s limbs or body in order to stretch the muscles.
    Cats stretch with equal ease and agility beyond the point that breaks a man on the rack.
    I always stretch my muscles before exercising.
  8. (intransitive) To extend to a limit point
    His mustache stretched all the way to his sideburns.
  9. (transitive) to increase
    • 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, BBC Sport:
      Yakubu took advantage of John Ruddy's error to put the visitors back in front, with Chris Samba's header stretching their advantage.

Translations [edit]

lengthen by pulling
lengthen when pulled
pull tight
get more than expected from a limited resource
be inaccurate by exaggeration
extend one’s limbs or body in order to stretch the muscles
extend between limits

Noun [edit]

stretch (plural stretches)

Stretching
  1. An act of stretching.
    I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang.
    To say crossing the street was brave was quite a stretch.
  2. The ability to lengthen when pulled.
    That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch.
  3. A course of thought which similarly diverts from 'straight' logic
  4. A segment of a journey or route.
    It was an easy trip except for the last stretch, which took forever.
  5. (baseball) A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.
  6. (baseball) A long reach in the direction of the ball with a foot remaining on the base by a first baseman in order to catch the ball sooner.
  7. A length of time.
    He did a 7-year stretch in jail.
    • 1945, George Orwell, Animal Farm, chapter 6
      After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever […]

Translations [edit]

act of stretching
ability to lengthen when pulled
segment of a journey or route
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Related terms [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

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