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stretch - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'stretch' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Stretch [ n.]
- Act of stretching, or state of being stretched; reach; effort; struggle; strain; as, a stretch of the limbs; a stretch of the imagination.
- A continuous line or surface; a continuous space of time; as, grassy stretches of land.
- The extent to which anything may be stretched.
- The reach or extent of a vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.
- Course; direction; as, the stretch of seams of coal.
2 . Stretch [ 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; the lake stretches over fifty square miles.
- To extend or spread one's self, or one's limbs; as, the lazy man yawns and stretches.
- To be extended, or to bear extension, without breaking, as elastic or ductile substances.
- To strain the truth; to exaggerate; as, a man apt to stretch in his report of facts.
- To sail by the wind under press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward.
3 . Stretch [ v. t.]
- To reach out; to extend; to put forth.
- To draw out to the full length; to cause to extend in a straight line; as, to stretch a cord or rope.
- To cause to extend in breadth; to spread; to expand; as, to stretch cloth; to stretch the wings.
- To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly.
- To draw or pull out to greater length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle.
- To exaggerate; to extend too far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch one's credit.

Meaning of 'stretch' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . stretch [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a large and unbroken expanse or distance
Example in sentence:
  • a stretch of clear water;
  • a stretch of highway
Meaning (2):
- extension to or beyond the ordinary limit
Example in sentence:
  • beyond any stretch of his understanding;
  • by no stretch of the imagination;
  • running at full stretch
Meaning (3):
- an unbroken period of time during which you do something
Example in sentence:
  • he did a stretch in the federal penitentiary;
  • there were stretches of boredom
4 . stretch [ v]
Meaning (4):
- corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
Example in sentence:
  • adulterate liquor
Meaning (5):
- pull in opposite directions
Example in sentence:
  • During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack
Meaning (6):
- increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance
Example in sentence:
  • extend the casserole with a little rice;
  • stretch the soup by adding some more cream
Meaning (7):
- extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length
Example in sentence:
  • extend the TV antenna;
  • stretch out that piece of cloth;
  • Unfold the newspaper
Meaning (8):
- extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body
Example in sentence:
  • Extend your right arm above your head;
  • Stretch your legs!
Meaning (9):
- extend one's body or limbs
Example in sentence:
  • Let's stretch for a minute--we've been sitting here for over 3 hours
Meaning (10):
- extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly
Example in sentence:
  • stretch my patience;
  • stretch the imagination;
  • Stretch the limits
Meaning (11):
- make long or longer by pulling and stretching
Example in sentence:
  • stretch the fabric
Meaning (12):
- become longer by being stretched and pulled
Example in sentence:
  • The fabric stretches
Meaning (13):
- occupy a large, elongated area
Example in sentence:
  • The park stretched beneath the train line
Meaning (14):
- lie down comfortably
Example in sentence:
  • To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass
15 . stretch [ s]
Meaning (15):
- having an elongated seating area
Example in sentence:
  • a stretch limousine
Meaning (16):
- easily stretched
Example in sentence:
  • stretch hosiery

Nearby Words:

strabism strabismometer strabismus strabotomy straddle straddled straddling stradometrical straggle straggled

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