PROTRACTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does protraction mean? 

• PROTRACTION (noun)
  The noun PROTRACTION has 2 senses:

1. the consequence of being lengthened in duration

2. the act of prolonging something

  Familiarity information: PROTRACTION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROTRACTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The consequence of being lengthened in duration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

continuation; lengthiness; prolongation; protraction

Hypernyms ("protraction" is a kind of...):

duration; length (continuance in time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "protraction"):

fermata ((music) a prolongation of unspecified length on a note or chord or rest)

Derivation:

protract (lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of prolonging something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lengthening; perpetuation; prolongation; protraction

Context example:

there was an indefinite prolongation of the peace talks

Hypernyms ("protraction" is a kind of...):

continuance; continuation (the act of continuing an activity without interruption)

Derivation:

protract (lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer)

 Context examples 

A component of a reverse-pull or protraction orthodontic appliance that distributes force across much of the face.

(Orthodontic Facemask, NCI Thesaurus)

By the quantity of provision which I had consumed, I should guess that I had passed three weeks in this journey; and the continual protraction of hope, returning back upon the heart, often wrung bitter drops of despondency and grief from my eyes.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)