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reaching |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Reach \Reach\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Reached}({Raught}, the old preterit, is obsolete); p. pr & vb n. {Reaching}.] [OE. rechen AS r[=ae]can, r[=ae]cean, to extend, stretch out akin to D. reiken G. reichen and possibly to AS r[=i]ce powerful, rich, E. rich. [root]115.] 1. To extend; to stretch; to thrust out to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like Her tresses yellow, and long straughten, Unto her heeles down they raughten --Rom. of R. Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side --John xx 27. Fruit trees, over woody, reached too far Their pampered boughs. --Milton. 2. Hence to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over as to reach one a book. He reached me a full cap. --2 Esd. xiv. 39. 3. To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; too extend some part of the body, or something held by one so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like as to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear. O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford, Than I may reach the beast. --Dryden. 4. To strike, hit, or tough with a missile; as to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell. 5. Hence to extend an action effort, or influence to to penetrate to to pierce, or cut, as far as If these examples of grown men reach not the case of children, let them examine. --Locke. 6. To extend to to stretch out as far as to touch by virtue of extent; as his hand reaches the river. Thy desire . . . leads to no excess That reaches blame. --Milton. 7. To arrive at by effort of any kind to attain to to gain; to be advanced to The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach, comes short of its reality. --Cheyne. 9. To understand; to comprehend. [Obs.] Do what sir? I reach you not --Beau. & Fl 10. To overreach; to deceive. [Obs.] --South. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: reaching n 1: the act of physically reaching or thrusting out [syn: {reach}, {stretch}] 2: accomplishment of an objective [syn: {arrival}]
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