English [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
From Middle English strecchen , from Old English streċċan ( “ to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out, prostrate ” ) , from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan ( “ to stretch, make taut or tight ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *(s)treg- , *streg- , *treg- ( “ stiff, rigid ” ) . Cognate with West Frisian strekke , 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 ]
stretch (third-person singular simple present stretches , present participle stretching , simple past and past participle stretched or ( obsolete ) straught or ( obsolete ) straight )
( transitive ) To lengthen by pulling .
I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.
( intransitive ) To lengthen when pulled.
The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point.
1659 December 30 (date written) , Robert Boyle , New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects, (Made, for the Most Part, in a New Pneumatical Engine) [ … ] , Oxford, Oxfordshire: [ … ] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University , for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC :The inner membrane [ …] because it would stretch and yield, remained unbroken.
( transitive ) To pull tight .
First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum.
( figuratively , transitive ) To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days.
( figuratively , transitive ) To make inaccurate by exaggeration .
To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably.
To say he's been to this park a million times is stretching the numbers. The true number is around 30 or 40.
( intransitive ) To extend physically, especially from limit point to limit point.
1913 , Joseph C. Lincoln , chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients :Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned, [ …] and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights.
The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble.
( intransitive , transitive ) To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body in order to improve the elasticity of one's 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.
When the cat woke up, it yawned and stretched .
( intransitive ) To extend to a limit point
His mustache stretched all the way to his sideburns.
( transitive ) To increase .
2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3-3 Blackburn ”, in 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.
( obsolete , colloquial ) To stretch the truth ; to exaggerate .
a man apt to stretch in his report of facts
( nautical ) To sail by the wind under press of canvas.
The ship stretched to the eastward.
( slang , transitive , archaic ) To execute by hanging .
To make great demands on the capacity or resources of something.
1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The problem of the peak”, in Trains Illustrated , page 130:By the fullest exploitation of modern signalling, multiple-unit operation and flying and burrowing junctions the S.R. has greatly increased the capacity of its tracks to carry this growing load of peak-hour passengers, but that capacity is now stretched to the limit.
Translations [ edit ]
to lengthen by pulling
Arabic: تَمَدَّدَ ( tamaddada )
Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Aromanian: tindu
Assamese: মেলা ( mela )
Bashkir: һуҙыу ( huðıw )
Basque: luzatu
Bulgarian: разтеглям (bg) ( raztegljam ) , разтягам (bg) ( raztjagam )
Catalan: estirar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 伸展 (zh) ( shēnzhǎn ) , 拉 (zh) ( lā ) , 拉長 / 拉长 (zh) ( lācháng )
Czech: natáhnout (cs)
Danish: strække
Dutch: strekken (nl)
Esperanto: streĉi (eo)
Farefare: tẽegɛ
Finnish: venyttää (fi)
French: étendre (fr)
Friulian: distindi , distirâ , tindi
Galician: estricar (gl) , estirar (gl) , espurrir
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: strecken (de) , dehnen (de) , langziehen
Greek: τείνω (el) ( teíno )
Ancient: τείνω ( teínō )
Hebrew: מָתַח (he) ( matáẖ )
Hungarian: kinyújt (hu) , nyújt (hu)
Irish: sín
Italian: tendere (it)
Japanese: 伸ばす (ja) ( のばす, nobasu )
Khmer: បន្លាយ (km) ( bɑnliəy ) , លាម (km) ( liəm ) , ហូត (km) ( hout )
Korean: 당기다 (ko) ( danggida ) , 늘이다 (ko) ( neurida )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: vekêşin
Latin: tendo , extendo
Low German:
German Low German: strecken
Maori: whakamārō
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Nahuatl: titītza
Occitan: estirar (oc)
Old English: þennan
Portuguese: esticar (pt)
Quechua: chutay , mast'ay
Romanian: întinde (ro)
Romansch: stender , extender , tender
Russian: вытя́гивать (ru) impf ( vytjágivatʹ ) , вы́тянуть (ru) pf ( výtjanutʹ ) ; растя́гивать (ru) impf ( rastjágivatʹ ) , растяну́ть (ru) pf ( rastjanútʹ )
Sanskrit: तनोति ( tanóti )
Scottish Gaelic: sìn
Spanish: estirar (es)
Sundanese: taak
Swedish: sträcka (sv) , tänja (sv) , töja (sv)
Telugu: సాగదీయు (te) ( sāgadīyu )
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: germek (tr) , çekmek (tr) , uzatmak (tr)
Ukrainian: розтяга́ти impf ( roztjaháty ) , розтягти́ pf ( roztjahtý ) , витяга́ти impf ( vytjaháty ) , ви́тягти pf ( výtjahty )
Vietnamese: duỗi (vi)
to lengthen when pulled
Bashkir: һуҙылыу ( huðılıw )
Bulgarian: разтеглям се ( raztegljam se ) , разтягам се ( raztjagam se )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 伸展 (zh) ( shēnzhǎn ) , 拉 (zh) ( lā ) , 拉長 / 拉长 (zh) ( lācháng )
Danish: strække
Dutch: rekken (nl)
Dzongkha: ཧབ ( hab )
Finnish: venyä (fi)
Galician: estricar (gl)
German: sich dehnen (de) , ausleiern (de) , sich strecken
Hebrew: נִמְתַּח (he) ( nimtáẖ )
Hungarian: nyúlik (hu) , megnyúlik (hu) , kinyúlik (hu)
Irish: sín
Japanese: 伸びる (ja) ( のびる, nobiru )
Korean: 당기다 (ko) ( danggida )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: vekêşin
Portuguese: esticar (pt)
Romanian: întinde (ro)
Russian: вытя́гиваться (ru) impf ( vytjágivatʹsja ) , вы́тянуться (ru) pf ( výtjanutʹsja ) ; растя́гиваться (ru) impf ( rastjágivatʹsja ) , растяну́ться (ru) pf ( rastjanútʹsja )
Spanish: estirarse (es) , dar (es)
Sundanese: taak
Swedish: töja (sv)
Telugu: సాగు (te) ( sāgu )
Turkish: uzamak (tr) , gerilmek (tr)
Ukrainian: витяга́тися impf ( vytjahátysja ) , ви́тягтися pf ( výtjahtysja ) , розтяга́тися impf ( roztjahátysja ) , розтягти́ся pf ( roztjahtýsja )
to pull tight
Bashkir: һуҙыу ( huðıw ) , тарттырыу ( tarttırıw )
Azerbaijani: çəkmək (az)
Bulgarian: обтягам (bg) ( obtjagam )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 伸展 (zh) ( shēnzhǎn ) , 拉 (zh) ( lā ) , 拉長 / 拉长 (zh) ( lācháng )
Danish: stramme , spænde
Dutch: aanspannen (nl) , rechttrekken (nl) , strekken (nl)
Finnish: pingottaa (fi) , venyttää (fi)
German: ziehen (de) , überziehen (de) , straffen (de)
Hungarian: feszít (hu) , kifeszít (hu)
Korean: 당기다 (ko) ( danggida )
Maori: tūwhiti ( across a frame or hoop )
Old English: þennan
Portuguese: esticar (pt)
Russian: натя́гивать (ru) impf ( natjágivatʹ ) , натяну́ть (ru) pf ( natjanútʹ )
Swedish: spänna (sv)
Turkish: sıkı çekmek
Ukrainian: натягат́и impf ( natjahat́y ) , натягти́ pf ( natjahtý )
to get more than expected from a limited resource
to be inaccurate by exaggeration
to extend from limit to limit
to extend one’s limbs or body in order to stretch the muscles
Arabic: مَدَّدَ ( maddada ) , اِمْتَدَّ ( imtadda )
Bashkir: ( intrans. ) кирелеү ( kirelew ) , ( trans. ) яҙыу ( yaðıw )
Bulgarian: протягам се ( protjagam se )
Chinese:
Cantonese: 伸展 ( san1 zin2 )
Mandarin: 伸展 (zh) ( shēnzhǎn )
Danish: udstrække
Dutch: zich (uit)rekken (nl)
Dzongkha: ཧབ ( hab )
Finnish: venytellä (fi)
French: s'étirer (fr)
Galician: estarricar , estricar (gl) , estirar (gl) , espurrir , espreguizar (gl)
German: dehnen (de) , recken (de) , strecken (de) , stretchen
Hungarian: nyújtózik (hu) , kinyújtózik , megnyújtózik
Korean: 뻗다 (ko) ( ppeotda )
Latin: pandiculor
Maori: whakamakaka , hōkari , whakamākakakaka , taiaroa ( pandiculate ) , whakamārō , hītamo , hītamotamo , whakamikiki , uatoko
Nahuatl: tititza , catzana
Portuguese: espreguiçar-se , alongar-se
Russian: потя́гиваться (ru) impf ( potjágivatʹsja ) , потяну́ться (ru) pf ( potjanútʹsja ) ( intransitive ) , протя́гивать (ru) impf ( protjágivatʹ ) , протяну́ть (ru) pf ( protjanútʹ ) , вытя́гивать (ru) impf ( vytjágivatʹ ) , вы́тянуть (ru) pf ( výtjanutʹ )
Spanish: estirar (es)
Swedish: tänja (sv) , stretcha (sv)
Telugu: ఒళ్ళు విరుచుకొను ( oḷḷu virucukonu )
Turkish: gerinmek (tr)
to extend to a limit point
to increase
— See also translations at increase
nautical: to sail by the wind under press of canvas
to execute by hanging
— see hang
to make great demands on the capacity or resources
See also [ edit ]
stretch (plural stretches )
Stretching
An act of stretching.
I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang.
The ability to lengthen when pulled.
That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch.
A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief or exaggeration.
To say crossing the street was brave was quite a stretch.
A segment of a journey or route .
It was an easy trip except for the last stretch , which took forever.
It's a tough stretch of road in the winter, especially without chains.
A segment or length of material.
a stretch of cloth
( UK , slang , archaic ) A walk .
a. 1941 , Evelyn Underhill , quoted in 2010 , Evelyn Underhill, Carol Poston, The Making of a Mystic: New and Selected Letters of Evelyn Underhill (page 81)
In the afternoon I went for a stretch into the country, & about 4 it cleared up pretty well, so I hurried back & we got a cart & drove to Bassano, a little town about 8 miles off, that we wanted to see.
( baseball ) A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.
( 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.
( informal ) Term of address for a tall person.
2007 , Michael Farrell, Running with Buffalo :“Hey, Stretch ,” he shouted at a tall, spectacled co-worker, “turn the fucking station, will you? You know I can't stand Rush, and it's all they play on this one. If I hear those assholes whine 'Tom Sawyer' one more time, I may go on a fucking killing spree.
( horse racing ) The homestretch , the final straight section of the track leading to the finish.
A length of time .
After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever [ …]
( Ireland ) Extended daylight hours, especially said of the evening in springtime when compared to the shorter winter days.
There is a grand stretch in the evenings.
( sports ) The period of the season between the trade deadline and the beginning of the playoffs.
2000 , GBaseball Dynasties: The Greatet Teams of All Time [1] , page 179:The '42 Cardinals are best known for their amazing stretch run. St. Louis won 43 of their last 51 games and came back from a double-digit deficit in games in early August to edge out the Dodgers for the N.L. flag.
( slang ) A jail or prison term.
He did a seven-year stretch in jail.
Synonym: stint
( slang ) A jail or prison term of one year's duration.
A single uninterrupted sitting ; a turn .
A stretch limousine .
Translations [ edit ]
act of stretching
Bulgarian: разтегляне (bg) n ( raztegljane ) , разтягане (bg) n ( raztjagane )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 伸展 (zh) ( shēnzhǎn )
Dutch: rek (nl) m
Finnish: venyttely ( stretching body ) , liioittelu (fi) ( stretching e.g. truth )
French: étirement (fr)
German: Strecken (de) n , Dehnen n , Untertreibung (de) f , Übertreibung (de) f
Hungarian: nyújtás (hu) , kinyújtás , nyújtózkodás , kinyújtózkodás
Japanese: ( sports ) ストレッチ (ja) ( sutoretchi )
Korean: 스트레칭 ( seuteureching ) , 기지개 (ko) ( gijigae )
Polish: rozciąganie (pl) n
Portuguese: alongamento (pt) m
Romanian: întindere (ro) f
Russian: растя́гивание (ru) n ( rastjágivanije ) , растя́жка (ru) f ( rastjážka )
Spanish: estirón (es) m , estiramiento (es) m
Turkish: gerinme (tr)
Ukrainian: розтя́гування n ( roztjáhuvannja ) , розтя́жка f ( roztjážka )
ability to lengthen when pulled
thought which diverts from logic
segment of a journey or route
addressing for a tall person
Translations to be checked
Derived terms [ edit ]
Descendants [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
( a walk ) : 1873 , John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary
Further reading [ edit ]
stretch at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams [ edit ]
stretch m (plural stretchs )
stretchy material