Noun
1. a large and unbroken expanse or distance;
"a stretch of highway""a stretch of clear water"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;
"running at full stretch""by no stretch of the imagination""beyond any stretch of his understanding"6. an unbroken period of time during which you do something;
"there were stretches of boredom""he did a stretch in the federal penitentiary"7. the capacity for being stretched
Verb
1. occupy a large, elongated area;
"The park stretched beneath the train line"2. extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body;
"Stretch your legs!""Extend your right arm above your head"3. extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length;
"Unfold the newspaper""stretch out that piece of cloth""extend the TV antenna"4. become longer by being stretched and pulled;
"The fabric stretches"5. make long or longer by pulling and stretching;
"stretch the fabric"6. lie down comfortably;
"To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass"7. pull in opposite directions;
"During the Inquisition, the torturers would stretch their victims on a rack"8. extend the scope or meaning of; often unduly;
"Stretch the limits""stretch my patience""stretch the imagination"9. corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones;
"adulterate liquor"10. 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"11. extend one's body or limbs;
"Let's stretch for a minute--we've been sitting here for over 3 hours"