reach

Meanings

Verb

• To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
• To give to someone by stretching out a limb, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another person; to hand over.
• To stretch out the hand.
• To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held, so as to touch, strike, grasp, etc.
• Of a missile: to strike or touch.
• To extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut.
• To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent.
• To arrive at (a place) by effort of any kind.
• To make contact with.
• To connect with (someone) on an emotional level, making them receptive of (one); to get through to (someone).
• To arrive at a particular destination.
• To continue living until or up to (a certain age).
• To understand; to comprehend.
• To strain after something; to make (sometimes futile or pretentious) efforts.
• To extend in dimension, time etc.; to stretch out continuously (past, beyond, above, from etc. something).
• To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
• Alternative of retch.

Noun

• The act of stretching or extending; extension.
• The ability to reach or touch with the person, a limb, or something held or thrown.
• The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.
• Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.
• An exaggeration; an extension beyond evidence or normal; a stretch.
• The distance a boxer's arm can extend to land a blow.
• Any point of sail in which the wind comes from the side of a vessel, excluding close-hauled.
• The distance traversed between tacks.
• A stretch of a watercourse which can be sailed in one reach (in the previous sense). An extended portion of water; a stretch; a straightish portion of a stream, river, or arm of the sea extending up into the land, as from one turn to another. By extension, the adjacent land.
• A level stretch of a watercourse, as between rapids in a river or locks in a canal. (examples?)
• An extended portion or area of land or water.
• An article to obtain an advantage.
• The pole or rod connecting the rear axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.
• Alternative of retch.

Origin

• From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan, from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *reyǵ-.