stretches
|stretch-es|
/ˈstrɛtʃɪz/
(stretch)
extend or draw out
Etymology
'stretch' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'streccan', where 'strecc-' meant 'to stretch, extend'.
'stretch' changed from Old English 'streccan' and is related to Old Norse 'strekka' and Proto-Germanic '*strekkjaną'; through Middle English it became the modern English 'stretch'.
Initially, it meant 'to make tight or straight', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to make longer or extend' (both physically and figuratively).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'stretch': a continuous area or expanse (e.g., a stretch of road or field).
They walked across several stretches of open field.
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Noun 2
plural of 'stretch': short exercises that lengthen muscles (informally called 'stretches').
She does a few stretches every morning.
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Verb 1
third-person singular of 'stretch': to make something longer or wider by pulling; to extend physically.
She stretches the elastic band to fit it around the jar.
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Verb 2
third-person singular of 'stretch': to extend across a distance or period (of area, road, time, etc.).
The coastline stretches for miles to the north.
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Verb 3
third-person singular of 'stretch' (body movements): to lengthen or flex muscles or limbs; to straighten out.
He stretches before every run to warm up his muscles.
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Verb 4
third-person singular of 'stretch' (figurative): to exaggerate or distort the truth (often used in the phrase 'stretch the truth').
He stretches the facts to make his story more interesting.
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Last updated: 2026/01/05 08:44