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Webster 1913 Edition

Stretch

Stretch

,
Verb.
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.
straekke
; cf. AS.
straeck
,
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.
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare
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

,
Verb.
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

,
Noun.
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
,
Adj.

Webster 1828 Edition

Stretch

STRETCH

,
Verb.
T.
[L.]
1.
To draw out to greater length; to extend in a line; as, to stretch a cord or a rope.
2.
To extend in breadth; as, to stretch cloth.
3.
To spread; to expand; as, to stretch the wings.
4.
To reach; to extend.
Stretch thine hand to the poor.
5.
To spread; to display; as, to stretch forth the heavens.
6.
To draw or pull out in length; to strain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle.
7.
To make tense; to strain.
So the stretchd cord the shackled dancer tries.
8.
To extend mentally; as, to stretch the mind or thoughts.
9.
To exaggerate; to extend too far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch ones credit.

STRETCH

, v.i.
1.
To be extended; to be drawn out in length or in breadth, or both. A wet hempen cord or cloth contracts; in drying, it stretches.
2.
To be extended; to spread; as, a lake stretches over a hundred miles of earth. Lake Erie stretches from Niagara nearly to Huron. Hence,
3.
To stretch to, is to reach.
4.
To be extended or to bear extension without breaking, as elastic substances.
The inner membrane--because it would stretch and yield, remained unbroken.
5.
To sally beyond the truth; to exaggerate. A man who is apt to stretch, has less credit than others.
6.
In navigation, to sail; to direct a course. It is often understood to signify to sail under a great spread of canvas close hauled. In this it differs from stand, which implies no press of sail. We were standing to the east, when we saw a ship stretching to the southward.
7.
To make violent efforts in running.

STRETCH

,
Noun.
1.
Extension in length or in breadth; reach; as a great stretch of wings.
2.
Effort; struggle; strain.
Those put lawful authority upon the stretch to the abuse of power, under color of prerogative.
3.
Force of body; straining.
By stretch of arms the distant shore to gain.
4.
Utmost extent of meaning.
Quotations, in their utmost stretch, can signify no more than that Luther lay under severe agonies of mind.
5.
Utmost reach of power.
This is the utmost stretch that nature can.
6.
In sailing, a tack; the reach or extent of progress on one tack.
7.
Course; direction; as the stretch of seams of coal.

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