Stretch — Defs

01 v. t. To reach out; to extend; to put forth.

imp. & p. p. Stretched; p. pr. & vb. n. Stretching

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.

02 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; th…

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

Phrases & compounds

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

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

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.
The reach or extent of a vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.(Naut.)
5.
Course; direction; as, the stretch of seams of coal.

Phrases & compounds

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

Home stretch — See under Home, a.