STRETCH

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stretch mean? 

• STRETCH (noun)
  The noun STRETCH has 7 senses:

1. a large and unbroken expanse or distance

2. the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

3. a straightaway section of a racetrack

4. exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent

5. extension to or beyond the ordinary limit

6. an unbroken period of time during which you do something

7. the capacity for being stretched

  Familiarity information: STRETCH used as a noun is common.

• STRETCH (adjective)
  The adjective STRETCH has 2 senses:

1. having an elongated seating area

2. easily stretched

  Familiarity information: STRETCH used as an adjective is rare.

• STRETCH (verb)
  The verb STRETCH has 11 senses:

1. occupy a large, elongated area

2. extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body

3. extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length

4. become longer by being stretched and pulled

5. make long or longer by pulling and stretching

6. lie down comfortably

7. pull in opposite directions

8. extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly

9. corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

10. increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance

11. extend one's body or limbs

  Familiarity information: STRETCH used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STRETCH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A large and unbroken expanse or distance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

a stretch of clear water

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

expanse (a wide and open space or area as of surface or land or sky)

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

slack; slack water (a stretch of water without current or movement)

Derivation:

stretch (occupy a large, elongated area)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of physically reaching or thrusting out

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

reach; reaching; stretch

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

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

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

outreach (the act of reaching out)

Derivation:

stretch (extend one's body or limbs)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A straightaway section of a racetrack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

straight; straightaway (a straight segment of a roadway or racecourse)

Domain category:

racing (the sport of engaging in contests of speed)

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

homestretch (the straight stretch of a racetrack leading to the finish line)

Holonyms ("stretch" is a part of...):

racecourse; racetrack; raceway; track (a course over which races are run)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

stretch; stretching

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

exercise; exercising; physical exercise; physical exertion; workout (the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit)

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

pandiculation (yawning and stretching (as when first waking up))

Derivation:

stretch (extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Extension to or beyond the ordinary limit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

beyond any stretch of his understanding

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

extension (act of expanding in scope; making more widely available)

Derivation:

stretch (become longer by being stretched and pulled)

stretch (make long or longer by pulling and stretching)

stretch (extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly)

Sense 6

Meaning:

An unbroken period of time during which you do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

stint; stretch

Context example:

he did a stretch in the federal penitentiary

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

continuance; duration (the period of time during which something continues)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The capacity for being stretched

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

stretch; stretchability; stretchiness

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

elasticity; snap (the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed)

Derivation:

stretch (become longer by being stretched and pulled)

stretchy (capable of being easily stretched and resuming former size or shape)

• STRETCH (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having an elongated seating area

Context example:

a stretch limousine

Similar:

long (primarily spatial sense; of relatively great or greater than average spatial extension or extension as specified)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Easily stretched

Context example:

stretch hosiery

Similar:

elastic (capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy)

• STRETCH (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Occupy a large, elongated area

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

stretch; stretch along

Context example:

The park stretched beneath the train line

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

be (occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

stretch (a large and unbroken expanse or distance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

extend; stretch

Context example:

Extend your right arm above your head

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

strain; tense; tense up (cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stretch"):

spread-eagle (stretch out completely)

crane; stretch out (stretch (the neck) so as to see better)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

stretching; stretch (exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

extend; stretch; stretch out; unfold

Context example:

extend the TV antenna

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

change form; change shape; deform (assume a different shape or form)

Verb group:

extend (open or straighten out; unbend)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Become longer by being stretched and pulled

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The fabric stretches

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

grow (become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stretch"):

give; yield (be flexible under stress of physical force)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

These fabrics stretch easily

Antonym:

shrink (become smaller or draw together)

Derivation:

stretch (extension to or beyond the ordinary limit)

stretch (the capacity for being stretched)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make long or longer by pulling and stretching

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

elongate; stretch

Context example:

stretch the fabric

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

lengthen (make longer)

Cause:

stretch (become longer by being stretched and pulled)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stretch"):

shoetree; tree (stretch (a shoe) on a shoetree)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

stretch (extension to or beyond the ordinary limit)

stretcher (a mechanical device used to make something larger (as shoes or gloves) by stretching it)

stretching (act of expanding by lengthening or widening)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Lie down comfortably

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

stretch; stretch out

Context example:

To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

lie; lie down (assume a reclining position)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Pull in opposite directions

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stretch"):

draw; pull back (stretch back a bowstring (on an archer's bow))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

stretch the imagination

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

broaden; extend; widen (extend in scope or range or area)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

stretch (extension to or beyond the ordinary limit)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

adulterate; debase; dilute; load; stretch

Context example:

adulterate liquor

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

corrupt; spoil (alter from the original)

Verb group:

extend; stretch (increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "stretch"):

water down (thin by adding water to)

doctor; doctor up; sophisticate (alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

extend; stretch

Context example:

extend the casserole with a little rice

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Verb group:

adulterate; debase; dilute; load; stretch (corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 11

Meaning:

Extend one's body or limbs

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

stretch; stretch out

Context example:

Let's stretch for a minute--we've been sitting here for over 3 hours

Hypernyms (to "stretch" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

stretch (the act of physically reaching or thrusting out)

 Context examples 

Inside, young Mr. Willoughby Smith was stretched upon the floor.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When the extrafusal fibers are stretched, the intrafusal fibers of the spindle stretch as well.

(Muscle Spindle, NCI Thesaurus)

Lord Roxton said nothing, but a brown hand was stretched out to me across the table.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Similar to mouse Igbp1 and yeast TAP42, IGBP1 contains potential N-glycosylation sites, myristylation sites, multiple potential PKC and casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, and an SH3-binding sequence-related stretch.

(Immunoglobulin Binding Protein 1, NCI Thesaurus)

The capillaries fill with blood and stretch, thereby creating cavernous spaces.

(Cerebral Cavernous Malformation, NCI Thesaurus)

The Local Void is a huge stretch of space that is at least 150 million light-years across.

(Lonely Galaxy Lost in Space, NASA)

It was beautiful, but too solemn; I half rose, and stretched my arm to draw the curtain.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I stretched out my hand to him and cried, “Are you then safe—and Elizabeth—and Ernest?”

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

"I'll go you," Martin announced, stretching out his hand, which the other shook.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"Who are you?" asked the Scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned. "And where are you going?"

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)