forestretch

English

Etymology

From fore- +‎ stretch.

Verb

forestretch (third-person singular simple present forestretches, present participle forestretching, simple past and past participle forestretched)

1. (rare, transitive) To stretch out, forth, or forward.
   • 1825, Publius Vergilius Maro, A translation of the first book of the Georgics of Virgil:

     Bend in the forest then the plastic elm, By pressure moulded to the plough-beam's curve: To this be fitted at its nether point An eight foot pole, forestretching; back to back

   • 1961, Peter Decker, Benedict Arnold: Son of the Havens - Page 145:

     In short, in their persuasive efforts to please, to give everybody "a sweet taste of liberty," the Commission had pleased no one. Thus was the Commission, caught in vast inscrutables, uneasily observing a hydra-headed giant, forestretched, abysmally yawning, in disturbed slumber.

   • 2003, Zaverchand Kalidas Meghani, The Shade Crimson:

     That's enough," said Heer-bai blocking the father's path with her forestretched arms.

Noun

forestretch (plural not attested)

1. (rare, of a seascape) That which stretches out, forth, or forward.
   • 1895, William Clark Russell, A Three-stranded Yarn: The Wreck of the Lady Emma - Page 170:

     Now, we had not been looking about us above five minutes when, happening to glance aft past the helmsman, I saw the ocean not above half a mile distant white as milk: the forestretch of it was about two miles long; how wide it went back I could not say, [...]

   • 1969, Quarterly Review of Literature, volumes 16-17, page 423:

     Into it, he slowed and stiffened still more, as though he waded through a holding action, biding till the curve and then the forestretch where he could be faster.

   • 1996, John O'Grady, Sarah Purser, The Life and Work of Sarah Purser - Page 264:

     A seascape, its forestretch is an ocean inlet bounded at a short distance by a low rocky promontary coming from the right edge and submerging near the left; beyond, the sea reaches away to the horizon where a large mountainous island lies [...]