Stretch
WordNet
adjective
(1) Easily stretched
"Stretch hosiery"
noun
(2) The act of physically reaching or thrusting out
(3) Extension to or beyond the ordinary limit
"Running at full stretch"
"By no stretch of the imagination"
"Beyond any stretch of his understanding"
(4) Exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent
(5) A straightaway section of a racetrack
(6) The capacity for being stretched
(7) A large and unbroken expanse or distance
"A stretch of highway"
"A stretch of clear water"
(8) An unbroken period of time during which you do something
"There were stretches of boredom"
"He did a stretch in the federal penitentiary"
verb
(9) Extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body
"Stretch your legs!"
"Extend your right arm above your head"
(10) Extend one's body or limbs
"Let's stretch for a minute--we've been sitting here for over 3 hours"
(11) Become longer by being stretched and pulled
"The fabric stretches"
(12) Make long or longer by pulling and stretching
"Stretch the fabric"
(13) Extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly
"Stretch the limits"
"Stretch my patience"
"Stretch the imagination"
(14) Pull in opposite directions
"During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack"
(15) Lie down comfortably
"To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass"
(16) Extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length
"Unfold the newspaper"
"Stretch out that piece of cloth"
"Extend the TV antenna"
(17) Occupy a large, elongated area
"The park stretched beneath the train line"
WiktionaryText
Verb
- To lengthen by pulling.
- I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.
- To lengthen when pulled.
- The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point.
- To pull tight.
- First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum.
- To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
- I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days.
- To be inaccurate by exaggeration.
- To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably.
- To extend from limit point to limit point.
- The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble.
- 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.
Noun
- 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.
- The ability to lengthen when pulled.
- That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch.
- A course of thought which similarly diverts from 'straight' logic
- A segment of a journey or route.
- It was an easy trip except for the last stretch, which took forever.
- A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.
- 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.
- A length of time
- He did a 7-year stretch in jail.
Related terms
- at full stretch
- by a long stretch
- cat stretch
- outstretch
- overstretch
- seventh inning stretch
- stretchable
- stretch limo
- stretch of the imagination
- stretch mark
- stretch out
- stretch pants
- stretcher
- stretchy