stretch

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
stretch/stretʃ/

▶verb

• 1 (of something soft or elastic) be made or be able to be made longer or wider without tearing or breaking.

  ■ pull (something) tightly from one point to another or across a space.

• 2 straighten or extend one's body or a part of one's body to its full length.

• 3 last or cause to last longer than expected.

  ■ (of finances or resources) be sufficient for a particular purpose.

• 4 extend over an area or period of time.

• 5 make demands on.

▶noun

• 1 an act of stretching.

  ■ the fact or condition of being stretched.

  ■ the capacity to stretch or be stretched; elasticity.

• 2 a continuous expanse or period.

  ■ informal a period of time spent in prison.

  ■ chiefly N. Amer. a straight part of a racetrack, typically the home straight.

  ■ Sailing the distance covered on one tack.

• 3 [usu. as modifier] informal a motor vehicle or aircraft modified so as to have extended seating or storage capacity.

• 4 informal a difficult or demanding task.

– phrases
at full stretch using the maximum amount of one's resources or energy.
at a stretch

• 1 in one continuous period.

• 2 just possible but with difficulty.

stretch one's legs go for a short walk, typically after sitting for some time.
stretch a point allow or do something not usually acceptable.

– derivatives
stretchability noun,
stretchable adjective,
stretchiness noun,
stretchy adjective.

– origin OE streccan, of W. Gmc origin.