stretch noun
1 area of land or water
ADJ. great, huge, large, long, open, vast, wide A great stretch of ocean lay beneath them. | narrow, short, small | straight a straight stretch of road | continuous, unbroken | beautiful, lovely | deserted, empty, lonely an empty stretch of beach | fast | dangerous, hazardous | coastal a wild uninhabited coastal stretch
PREP. along a/the ~ There are tailbacks along a 10-mile stretch of the motorway. | on a/the ~ The festival is being held on a stretch of parkland near the river. | ~ of
2 stretching
ADJ. good | gentle
VERB + STRETCH have Have a good stretch from time to time to prevent yourself getting stiff.
PHRASES at full stretch Her arms were at full stretch.
stretch verb
1 pull sth tight
ADV. taut/tautly, tight/tightly Make sure that the rope is stretched tight. Stretch the fabric tightly over the frame.
PREP. across, between, over Striped awnings had been stretched across the courtyard.
2 your body/part of the body
ADV. gently | lazily, luxuriously He stirred and stretched lazily. | full-length Andrea turned out the light and stretched full-length on the bed. | down, forwards, out, up, upwards She stretched up to reach the top shelf.
3 cover a large area
ADV. far The wood does not stretch very far. | endlessly | ahead, away The road stretched ahead.
VERB + STRETCH seem to The beach seemed to stretch endlessly.
PREP. along, beyond, for The beach stretches for five miles. | from, into, to an area which stretches from London to the north
4 continue over a period of time
ADV. endlessly | back, out The town's history stretches back to before 1500.
PREP. before Endless summer days stretched out before us. | into The talks look set to stretch into a second week.
5 your ability/intelligence
ADV. really | fully We can't take on any more work?we're fully stretched as it is.
PREP. to This department is stretched to its limit.
You can also check other dicts: stretch (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition