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verb no object

1. (of something soft or elastic) be made or be capable of being made longer or wider without tearing or breaking:

(引っぱられて)伸びる; 〈素材が〉伸縮性がある(out) (!進行形にしない)

e.g. my sweater stretched in the wash

e.g. rubber will stretch easily when pulled.

with object cause (something) to become longer or wider by pulling it:

〈柔らかい･弾力のある物など〉を引き伸ばす, 引っぱる

e.g. stretch the elastic

e.g. small squares of canvas were stretched over the bamboo frame.

2. straighten or extend one's body or a part of one's body to its full length, typically so as to tighten one's muscles or in order to reach something:

〈両腕･両足など〉を一杯に伸ばす; 〈手･足など〉を伸ばす, 差し伸べる; 〖～ oneself〗 背伸びする(out)

e.g. the cat yawned and stretched

e.g. with object : stretching my cramped legs

e.g. we lay stretched out on the sand.

3. extend or spread over an area or period of time:

〈種類･範囲などが〉 «…から/…まで» 及ぶ «from/to»

e.g. the beach stretches for over four miles

e.g. the long hours of night stretched ahead of her.

last or cause to last longer than expected:

〈事が〉 «…もの期間に渡って/…から/…まで» 続く, 及ぶ(on)(continue, last) «into, to, over/from/to, into» (!予想以上に長い期間に及ぶことを含意する)

e.g. her nap had stretched to two hours

〖be ～ed〗 〈事が〉 【期間にまで】続く, 及ぶ «into»

e.g. with object : stretch your weekend into a mini summer vacation.

4. with object make great demands on the capacity or resources of:

〈忍耐〉を精一杯に用いる

e.g. the cost of the court case has stretched their finances to the limit.

cause (someone) to make maximum use of their talents or abilities:

〈仕事などが〉〈人〉の能力, 技量を(最大限に)発揮させる, …の全能力を働かせる

e.g. it's too easy—it doesn't stretch me.

informal adapt or extend the scope of (something) in a way that exceeds a reasonable or acceptable limit:

e.g. to describe her as sweet would be stretching it a bit.

1. an act of stretching one's limbs or body:

体(の部分)を伸ばすこと, ストレッチ(運動をすること)

e.g. I got up and had a stretch.

the fact or condition of a muscle being stretched:

e.g. she could feel the stretch and pull of the muscles in her legs.

Baseball a phase of a pitcher's delivery, during which the arms are raised above and behind the head.

Baseball a shortened form of a pitcher's windup, typically used to prevent base runners from stealing or gaining a long lead.

usually as modifier the capacity of a material or garment to stretch or be stretched; elasticity:

伸縮性

e.g. stretch jeans.

informal a difficult or demanding task:

e.g. it was a stretch for me sometimes to come up with the rent.

2. a continuous area or expanse of land or water:

(土地などの)広がり; 〖a ～ of A〗 一帯, 一筋のA

e.g. a treacherous stretch of road.

a continuous period of time:

〖a ～ of A〗 一続きのA〈期間〉; 一息(の行為)

e.g. long stretches of time.

informal a period of time spent in prison:

｟くだけて｠ 〖通例単数形で〗服役, 禁固期間

e.g. a four-year stretch for tax fraud.

chiefly North American a straight part of a racetrack, typically the homestretch:

直線コース

e.g. he made a promising start, but faded down the stretch.

Sailing the distance covered on one tack.

3. informal a stretch limo:

e.g. a chauffeur-driven stretch.

in one continuous period:

e.g. I often had to work for over twenty hours at a stretch.

used to emphasize that something is definitely not the case:

e.g. by no stretch of the imagination could Carl ever be called good-looking.

go for a short walk after sitting in one place for some time.

see wing.

stretchability |-əˈbilitē| noun

stretchable adjective

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