Word: stretch Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English strecchen, from Old English streċċan (“to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out, prostrate”), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch, make taut or tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)treg-, *streg-, *treg- (“stiff, rigid”). Cognate with West Frisian strekke, Dutch strekken (“to stretch, straighten”), German strecken (“to stretch, straighten, elongate”), Danish strække (“to stretch”), Swedish sträcka (“to stretch”), Dutch strak (“taut, tight”), Albanian shtriqem (“to stretch”). More at stark. Pronunciation: /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ 1. An act of stretching. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang. 2. The ability to lengthen when pulled. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch. 3. A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief or exaggeration. Labels: countable, idiomatic, uncountable Example: It's a bit of a stretch to call Boris Karloff a comedian. Example: To say crossing the street was brave was quite a stretch. 4. A segment of a journey or route. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: It was an easy trip except for the last stretch, which took forever. Example: It's a tough stretch of road in the winter, especially without chains. 5. A segment or length of material. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: a stretch of cloth 6. A walk. Labels: UK, archaic, countable, slang, uncountable Example: In the afternoon I went for a stretch into the country, & about 4 it cleared up pretty well, so I hurried back & we got a cart & drove to Bassano, a little town about 8 miles off, that we wanted to see. 7. A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it. Labels: countable, uncountable 8. A long reach in the direction of the ball with a foot remaining on the base by a first baseman in order to catch the ball sooner. Labels: countable, uncountable 9. Term of address for a tall person. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable Example: “Hey, Stretch,” he shouted at a tall, spectacled co-worker, “turn the fucking station, will you? You know I can't stand Rush, and it's all they play on this one. If I hear those assholes whine 'Tom Sawyer' one more time, I may go on a fucking killing spree. Example: Amelia: I mean, you're already a dwarf. Gura: Oh, OK, Stretch. 10. The homestretch, the final straight section of the track leading to the finish. Labels: countable, uncountable 11. A length of time. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever […] 12. A length of time. Labels: Ireland, countable, uncountable Example: There is a grand stretch in the evenings. 13. A length of time. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The '42 Cardinals are best known for their amazing stretch run. St. Louis won 43 of their last 51 games and came back from a double-digit deficit in games in early August to edge out the Dodgers for the N.L. flag. 14. A length of time. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable Example: "Of course, if Cripps likes to stay here and do a stretch for burglary, well and good." Example: He did a seven-year stretch in jail. 15. A length of time. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 16. A length of time. Labels: countable, uncountable 17. Ellipsis of stretch limousine. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable