stretch1/strɛtʃ; stretʃ/v 1 [I,T] to make something bigger or looser by pulling it, or to become bigger or looser in this way (使)撑大﹔(使)拉松﹔拉长: Don’t stretch my jumper! 别拉我的毛衣!Stretch the canvas so that it covers the whole frame. 把油画布绷紧覆在整个画框上。Trainers tend to stretch when you wear them. 运动鞋穿穿会撑大些。see picture on page 见 A11 页图2 [I,T] to push your arms, legs, or another part of your body as far as they can go 伸开(肢体)﹐伸展: He sat up in bed and stretched. 他从床上坐起身﹐伸了个懒腰。an exercise to stretch the leg muscles 拉伸腿部肌肉的练习+over/across/out/up She stretched over and picked up the phone. 她伸手接起电话。see box at见 EXERCISE2 方框3 [I] to cover a large area of land 延伸﹐绵延: +away/to The lake stretched away into the distance. 那湖一直延伸到远方。4 [I] to continue for a long period of time 延续: +into/to The project will probably stretch into next year. 这个项目可能会延续到明年。5 [T] to give someone difficult work so that they have to use all their intelligence and ability to do it〔以难题等〕使〔某人〕施展全部才智﹐竭尽全力: It's important to stretch students. 严格要求学生﹐让他们充分发挥才智很重要。6 stretch your legsinformal to go for a walk【非正式】散步7 be stretched (to the limit) not to have enough money, time etc 手头拮据﹔时间紧张: We’re really stretched for money at the moment. 我们目前手头非常拮据。
stretch2n [C] 1 an area of land or water 一片地域﹔一片水域: +of a beautiful stretch of coastline 一片美丽的海岸a dangerous stretch of road 危险路段2 a continuous period of time 连续的一段时间: +of a long stretch of dry weather 长时间的干旱天气We worked for ten hours at a stretch (=without stopping). 我们一连干了十个小时。 3 an action in which you stretch part of your body〔肢体的〕舒展﹐伸展: I stood up and had a stretch . 我站起来伸了个懒腰。I usually do a few stretches before the game. 我一般在赛前做几个伸展动作。4 (not) by any stretch (of the imagination) spoken used to say that something is definitely not true【口】根本不﹐怎么(想象)都不: She isn’t fat, not by any stretch of the imagination. 她再怎么说都不算胖。