See Also: stretch(2)(dictionary)
Stretch(medicine)
stretch(1)(dictionary)
stretch reflex(medicine)
Stretch marks(health)
stretch mark(dictionary)
home stretch(dictionary)
stretch 1, verb(dictionary)
stretch 2, noun(dictionary)
stretch 3, adjective(dictionary)

stretch(2) (iou)



stretch verb. Pa. t. & pple straight, straught, stretched. See also STRAIGHT adjective1.

I.
verb trans. Prostrate (oneself, one's body); extend (one's limbs) in a reclining position. Also foll. by out. OE.
K. A. Porter He..stretched himself in the nearest deck-chair. E. Bowen He looked forward to stretching out his limbscramped by last night in the train.
b. verb trans. Spread out on the ground; make (a bed) of straw etc. OE-L15.
c. verb trans. Lay (a person) flat; dial. lay out (a corpse). Also (slang), kill, murder. ME.
W. H. Prescott The struggle lasted..till both of Pizarro's pages were stretched by his side.
d. verb intrans. Fall to the ground; lie down at full length. rare. LME-E19.
verb trans.
a. Extend (the arms) laterally; (of a bird) expand (the wings), esp. for flight. ME.
A. Christie Laid down her..tools and stretched her arms widely.
b. Of a tree: grow (branches) to spread over a (specified) distance. LME.
verb intrans. & refl. Straighten to one's full height or length, esp. from a stooping, cramped, or relaxed position; straighten one's body and extend one's arms (and legs) to tighten the muscles after being relaxed (as in sleeping). ME.
Sir W. Scott Yawning and stretching himself like one whose slumbers had been broken. R. Frame I would stretch up and touch the ceilings with my fingertips.
II.
a. verb trans. Put out or extend (a hand, arm, leg, etc.). Freq. foll. by forward, forth, out. OE.
W. C. L. Martin The animal staggers..its flanks heave, the head is stretched out. P. D. James She stretched out her hand to click on the bedside light. fig.: A. Craig Pollarded trees..stretched mutilated hands to the sky.
b. verb intrans. Orig., (of an arm) be extended. Later, extend one's arm or hand, reach for something. ME.
N. Mosley Children crowded in..stretching immediately for food.
verb trans.
a. Direct (one's hope, trust, etc.) towards someone or something; extend (relief) to a person. OE-E18.
b. Hold out, hand, or reach (an object). arch. rare. LME.
Lytton Said Gawaine, as he stretched his platter, 'I'll first the pie discuss.'
III. verb trans. Direct (one's course). Only in ME.
verb intrans. Make one's way, esp. rapidly or with effort. ME.
Dryden Cormorants forsake the Sea, And stretching to the Covert wing their way. Sir W. Scott Stretch onward in thy fleet career!
verb intrans. Nautical. Sail continuously in one direction. Also foll. by away, off, etc. L17.
F. Marryat They were stretching off the land.
IV.
verb trans. Place (an object) so as to reach from one point to another or across a space. Now chiefly spec., extend (something flexible) from one point to another or across a space, by drawing it out to more or less the full length or width. ME.
Sir W. Scott The veil which interested persons had stretched betwixt us.
b. Pitch (a tent). Also foll. by out. LME-L16.
verb intrans. Have a specified extent in space; extend or be continuous to a certain point or over a certain (now esp. large) distance or area; (long rare or obsolete) extend or run in a specified direction. ME.
Dryden A Tract of Land..Along the Tyber, stretching to the West. J. Hilton The whole cultivated area stretched for perhaps a dozen miles. R. Macaulay The Trojan plain stretching level to the sea.
b. Have extent in time; endure, last. rare. E17.
verb intrans. fig. Have a specified capacity; be adequate for a specified purpose; have a specified extent or range of action or application. ME-M17.
verb intrans. Tend, be serviceable (to). LME-E17.
V.
verb trans. Orig., fasten (a person) to a cross to execute by crucifixion. Later (now Hist.), exert a pull on (a person, a person's limbs), esp. as torture or punishment; rack. Also foll. by out. ME.
Shakespeare Measure for Measure The Duke dare no more stretch this finger of mine than he Dare rack his own.
a. verb intrans. & refl. Strain, press forward, use effort. Also foll. by on. arch. ME.
b. verb trans. Strain, exert to the utmost, (one's powers). E-M17.
verb trans. Make taut; make (a rope, piece of cloth, etc.) straight or even by pulling at the ends. Also, straighten (hair). LME.
New York Times Huge white plastic tents stretched on steel frames. Independent Some of the canvases..were stored, rolled up,..and had to be stretched by exhibitions staff.
b. verb intrans. Become taut. M19.
a. verb trans. Execute (a person) by hanging. arch. L16.
b. verb intrans. Of a person: be hanged. L16-L17.
VI.
verb trans.
a. Lengthen or widen (a material thing) by force; pull out to greater length or width; enlarge in girth or capacity by internal pressure. Freq. foll. by out. LME.
Scientific American Stretch a block of material and its girth contracts.
b. Open wide (the eyes, mouth, etc.). L16.
verb intrans. Be or admit of being lengthened or widened by force without breaking; fig. (foll. by out) last for a longer period of time, be prolonged. L15.
B. Taylor The thread won't stretch forever!..It might be broken.
b. Jazz. Play in a relaxed improvisatory manner, esp. in a solo. Foll. by out. M20.
verb trans. transf. & fig.
a. Enlarge or amplify beyond proper or natural limits; extend unduly the scope or application of (a law, rule, etc.) or the meaning of (a word); cause to last for a longer period of time, prolong, (usu. foll. by out). M16.
C. P. Snow Here I was stretching the truth. A. Price Stretch those laws...But breaknever!
b. verb intrans. & trans. Exaggerate. colloq. L17.
Swift Not worth forty pounds, so I stretched a little when I said a thousand. R. Stout Everyone in Washington is connected..with Watergate. That's stretching it, but not much.
c. Eke out (food), esp. to serve a greater number of people than originally intended. Also foll. by out. colloq. L19.
H. MacInnes Worrying how far she could stretch the beef stew.
d. Engineering. Increase the capability or power of (an engine etc.). M20.
e. verb trans. Cause (a person) to make the maximum use of his or her talents or abilities. M20.
D. Devine I hear good reports of your work..however, we're not stretching you enough. Times Could ensure..that the curriculum suited and stretched all children.
Phrases: stretch a halter be hanged. stretch a point agree to something not normally allowed. stretch one's legs: see LEG noun. stretch one's wings: see WING noun. stretch the neck of arch. = sense 16a above. stretch the rules: see RULE noun. stretch to the oar, stretch to the stroke arch. exert one's strength in rowing.
Comb.: (See also combs. of the noun) stretch-out (chiefly N. Amer.) (a) the practice of requiring workers to do extra work for little or no extra pay; (b) an economizing measure by which production is scheduled to proceed more slowly than originally planned.
stretcha'bility noun ability to be stretched M20.
stretchable adjective able to be stretched LME.