STRETCHING • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Stretching

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/strˈɛtʃɪŋ/ Listen

verb

Stretch v. t. (past & past part. stretched; pres. part. stretching)

1.

To reach out; to extend; to put forth. "And stretch forth his neck long and small." "I in conquest stretched mine arm."

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."

5.

To draw or pull out to greater length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle. "Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve."

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."

Stretch v. i.

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."

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."

4.

To strain the truth; to exaggerate; as, a man apt to stretch in his report of facts. (Obs. or Colloq.)

5.

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

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

adjective

Stretching adj. A. & n. from Stretch, v.

Stretching course (Masonry), a course or series of stretchers. See Stretcher, 2.

See images of 'Stretching'

Etymology of 'Stretching'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Stretching" Quotes from Famous Books

... sigh of relief that she had gone out of his life, but he could not. It was not so easy to shake off the shadow of his responsibility. He followed her in imagination on her downward path till he saw her stretching out her hands in pitiful need to casual acquaintances—alone and without hope; still petite, still dainty in spite of all, still with ...

— Other Main-Travelled Roads • Hamlin Garland

... stimulating explorers and improving the art of navigation. But none of the changes of outlook in the past have approached in their extent and significance those which have been in progress during the last fifty years, the new history of man and his surroundings, stretching back through hitherto unthought-of ages, the substitution of an illimitable vista of ever changing worlds for the imagined perfection of the ordered heavens, and above all the intrusion of science into the most intimate regions of ourselves. The effects of such changes often come, ...

— Human Nature In Politics - Third Edition • Graham Wallas

... stream which made its way between them. They were nowhere less than two hundred feet high; above that, moulded in all manner of heights and hollows; sometimes reaching up abruptly to twelve or fourteen hundred feet, and sometimes stretching away in long gorges and gentle declivities, — hills grouping behind hills. In Summer all these were a mass of living green, that the eye could hardly arrange; under Spring's delicate marshalling ...

— Hills of the Shatemuc • Susan Warner

... that the feeble leaves, the first shoots, cannot stand or support themselves; they are helpless as infants. But they have come to the "light of day," "have entered into life," and they will grow, become strong and stand, stretching ever higher into the light. The native stanzas portray the progressive movements of the corn from feeble helplessness into the power of life. The action of the dancers should convey this ...

— Indian Games and Dances with Native Songs • Alice C. Fletcher

... would speak louder than ordinary, are they satisfied with working their jaws, sides, or tongue, or stretching the common organs of speech and utterance? the whole body and every muscle is at full stretch, if I may be allowed the expression, every nerve is exerted to assist their voice. I have actually seen the knees of Marcus Antonius touch the ground when he was speaking with vehemence for himself, ...

— The Academic Questions • M. T. Cicero

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