Tra từ stretch - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

stretch [stretch stretches stretched stretching] verb, noun BrE [stretʃ] NAmE [stretʃ]
verb

MAKE BIGGER/LOOSER
1. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) to make sth longer, wider or looser, for example by pulling it; to become longer, etc. in this way
• Is there any way of stretching shoes?
• This sweater has stretched.
2. intransitive (of cloth)to become bigger or longer when you pull it and return to its original shape when you stop
• The jeans stretch to provide a perfect fit.

PULL TIGHT
3. transitive to pull sth so that it is smooth and tight
•~ sth Stretch the fabric tightly over the frame.
•~ sth + adj. Make sure that the rope is stretched tight.

YOUR BODY
4. intransitive, transitive to put your arms or legs out straight and contract your muscles
• He stretched and yawned lazily.
•~ sth The exercises are designed to stretch and tone your leg muscles.

REACH WITH ARM
5. intransitive, transitive to put out an arm or a leg in order to reach sth
•+ adv./prep. She stretched across the table for the butter.
•~ sth + adv./prep. I stretched out a hand and picked up the book.

OVER AREA
6. intransitive + adv./prep. to spread over an area of land
Syn: ↑extend
• Fields and hills stretched out as far as we could see.
• Beyond the mountains stretches a vast desert.

OVER TIME
7. intransitive + adv./prep. to continue over a period of time
•The town's history stretches back to before 1500.
•The training stretches over a period of 16 months.
•Endless summer days stretched out before us.
•The talks look set to stretch into a second week.

MONEY/SUPPLIES/TIME
8. intransitive ~ (to sth) (used in negative sentences and questions about an amount of money)to be enough to buy or pay for sth
•I need a new car, but my savings won't stretch to it.
•There are lots of things I'd like to buy, but our budget just won't stretch that far.
9. transitive ~ sb/sth to make use of a lot of your money, supplies, time, etc
•The influx of refugees has stretched the country's resources to the limit.
•We can't take on any more work— we're fully stretched as it is.

SB'S SKILL/INTELLIGENCE
10. transitive ~ sb/sth to make use of all sb's skill, intelligence, etc
•I need a job that will stretch me.
•She was never really stretched at school.
•The book really stretches your imagination.

TRUTH/BELIEF
11. transitive ~ sth to use sth in a way that would not normally be considered fair, acceptable, etc
•He admitted that he had maybe stretched the truth a little (= not been completely honest).
•The play's plot stretches credulity to the limit.
more at bend/stretch the rules at ↑rule _n.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Old English streccan, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch strekken and German strecken. The noun dates from the late 16th cent.

Thesaurus:
stretch verb
1. I, T
•This sweater has stretched.
expand • • enlarge • • widen • • broaden • • lengthen • • extend •
Opp: shrink
stretch/expand/enlarge/widen/lengthen/extend to a particular amount
2. I (always used with an adverb or preposition)
•The road stretched ahead for miles.
continue • • extend • • lead • • go • • reach • • span •
stretch/continue/extend/lead/go/reach/span beyond/across sth
stretch/continue/extend/lead/go/reach from sth to sth
stretch/continue/extend for sth

Example Bank:
•A line of cars stretched into the distance.
•Andrea turned out the light and stretched full-length on the bed.
•Don't stretch yourself too thin financially.
•He stirred and stretched lazily.
•He stretched out on the couch and watched TV.
•Our forces are too thinly stretched to control the chaos.
•She sat up, yawning and stretching.
•She stretched up to reach the top shelf.
•Striped awnings had been stretched across the courtyard.
•The beach seemed to stretch endlessly.
•The beach stretches for five miles.
•The future stretched out endlessly in front of me.
•The increase in demand has severely stretched our resources.
•The road stretched ahead.
•The wood does not stretch very far.
•This department is stretched to its limit.
•an area which stretches from London to the north
•His bulging muscles stretched the fabric of his T-shirt.
•Stop stretching your sleeves like that!
Idioms: ↑at full stretch ▪ ↑by no stretch of the imagination ▪ ↑not by any stretch of the imagination ▪ ↑stretch a point ▪ ↑stretch your legs
Derived: ↑stretch out ▪ ↑stretch yourself out

noun

AREA OF LAND/WATER
1. countable ~ (of sth) an area of land or water, especially a long one
•an unspoilt stretch of coastline
•a particularly dangerous stretch of road
•You rarely see boats on this stretch of the river.

PERIOD OF TIME
2. countable a continuous period of time
Syn: ↑spell
•They worked in four-hour stretches.
•She used to read for hours at a stretch (= without stopping).
3. countable, usually singular (informal)a period of time that sb spends in prison
•He did a ten-year stretch for fraud.

OF BODY
4. countable, uncountable an act of stretching out your arms or legs or your body and contracting the muscles; the state of being stretched
•We got out of the car and had a good stretch.
•Only do these more difficult stretches when you are warmed up.
•Stay in this position and feel the stretch in your legs.

OF FABRIC
5. uncountable the ability to be made longer or wider without breaking or tearing
•You need a material with plenty of stretch in it.
•stretch jeans

ON RACETRACK
6. countable, usually singular a straight part at the end of a racing track
Syn: ↑straight
•the finishing/home stretch
• (figurative)The campaign has entered its final stretch.

Word Origin:
Old English streccan, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch strekken and German strecken. The noun dates from the late 16th cent.

Thesaurus:
stretch noun C
•an unspoilt stretch of coastline
expanse • • tract • • field •
a/an stretch/expanse/tract/field of sth
a great/large/huge/vast stretch/expanse/tract/field
a/an wide/broad/continuous/open/empty/barren/deserted stretch/expanse

Example Bank:
•First let's warm up by doing some stretches.
•Have a good stretch from time to time to prevent yourself getting stiff.
•He went through a tough stretch last year but things are better now.
•He worked for three days and nights at a stretch.
•Her arms were at full stretch.
•Hold the stretch for a count of ten.
•She felt a renewed burst of energy for the final stretch.
•She had been unhappy for long stretches of her life.
•The festival is being held on a stretch of parkland near the river.
•The presidential race has now entered the home stretch.
•The students have now entered the final stretch of their course.
•There are tailbacks along a 10-mile stretch of the motorway.
•a straight stretch of road
•a wild uninhabited coastal stretch
•an empty stretch of beach
•A narrow stretch of water separates the island from the mainland.
•She looked at the long stretches of white sands.
•She used to read for hours at a stretch.
•The car overturned on a particularly dangerous stretch of road.
•The summer vacation can seem like an awfully long stretch of time.
•This is a largely unspoilt stretch of coastline.