1. [n]  the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
2. [n]  extension to or beyond the ordinary limit; "running at full stretch"; "by no stretch of the imagination"; "beyond any stretch of his understanding"
3. [n]  exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent
4. [n]  (racing) a straightaway section of a racetrack
5. [n]  the capacity for being stretched
6. [n]  a large and unbroken expanse or distance; "a stretch of highway"; "a stretch of clear water"
7. [n]  an unbroken period of time during which you do something; "there were stretches of boredom"; "he did a stretch in the federal penitentiary"
8. [adj]  easily stretched; "stretch hosiery"
9. [v]  extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body; "Stretch your legs!"; "Extend your right arm above your head"
10. [v]  extend one's body or limbs; "Let's stretch for a minute--we've been sitting here for over 3 hours"
11. [v]  increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance; "stretch the soup by adding some more cream"; "extend the casserole with a little rice"
12. [v]  become longer by being stretched and pulled; "The fabric stretches"
13. [v]  make long or longer by pulling and stretching; "stretch the fabric"
14. [v]  corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones; "adulterate liquor"
15. [v]  extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly; "Stretch the limits"; "stretch my patience"; "stretch the imagination"
16. [v]  pull in opposite directions; "During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack"
17. [v]  lie down comfortably; "To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass"
18. [v]  extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length; "Unfold the newspaper"; "stretch out that piece of cloth"; "extend the TV antenna"
19. [v]  occupy a large, elongated area; "The park stretched beneath the train line"

Stretch
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1. \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. str["a]cka, Dan.
   str[ae]kke; cf. AS. str[ae]ck, 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.
   

2. \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.
   

3. \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.