Stretch (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Stretched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Stretching.] [OE. strecchen, AS. streccan; akin
to D. strekken, G. strecken, OHG. strecchen, Sw.
sträcka, Dan. strække; cf. AS.
stræck, strec, strong, violent, G. strack
straight; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to E. strong. Cf.
Straight.] 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.
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.
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. (Naut.) To sail by the wind under
press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Stretch out, an order to rowers to extend
themselves forward in dipping the oar.
Stretch, n. 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. (Naut.) The reach or extent of a
vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.
5. Course; direction; as, the stretch
of seams of coal.
To be on the stretch, to be obliged to use
one's utmost powers. -- Home stretch. See
under Home, a.
Stretch (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Stretched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Stretching.] [OE. strecchen, AS. streccan; akin
to D. strekken, G. strecken, OHG. strecchen, Sw.
sträcka, Dan. strække; cf. AS.
stræck, strec, strong, violent, G. strack
straight; of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to E. strong. Cf.
Straight.] 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.
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.
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. (Naut.) To sail by the wind under
press of canvas; as, the ship stretched to the eastward.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Stretch out, an order to rowers to extend
themselves forward in dipping the oar.
Stretch, n. 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. (Naut.) The reach or extent of a
vessel's progress on one tack; a tack or board.
5. Course; direction; as, the stretch
of seams of coal.
To be on the stretch, to be obliged to use
one's utmost powers. -- Home stretch. See
under Home, a.
