Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Protract
Pro-tract′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Protracted
; p. pr. vb. n.
Protracting
.] 1.
To draw out or lengthen in time or (rarely) in space; to continue; to prolong;
as, to
protract
an argument; to protract
a war.2.
To put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer;
as, to
. protract
a decision or dutyShak.
3.
(Surv.)
To draw to a scale; to lay down the lines and angles of, with scale and protractor; to plot.
4.
(Zool.)
To extend; to protrude;
as, the cat can
; – opposed to protract
its clawsretract
. Pro-tract′
,Noun.
[L.
protractus
.] Tedious continuance or delay.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Webster 1828 Edition
Protract
PROTRACT'
,Verb.
T.
1.
To draw out or lengthen in time; to continue; to prolong; as, to protract an argument; to protract a discussion; to protract a war or a negotiation.2.
To delay; to defer; to put off to a distant time; as, to protract the decision of a question; to protract the final issue.PROTRACT'
,Noun.
Definition 2024
protract
protract
English
Verb
protract (third-person singular simple present protracts, present participle protracting, simple past and past participle protracted)
- To draw out; to extend, especially in duration.
- 2010, Christopher Hitchens, ‘The Men Who Made England’, The Atlantic, Mar 2010:
- Still, from these extraordinary pages you can learn that it's very bad to be burned alive on a windy day, because the breeze will keep flicking the flames away from you and thus protract the process.
- 2010, Christopher Hitchens, ‘The Men Who Made England’, The Atlantic, Mar 2010:
- To use a protractor.
- (surveying) To draw to a scale; to lay down the lines and angles of, with scale and protractor; to plot.
- To put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer.
- to protract a decision or duty
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
- To extend; to protrude.
- A cat can protract and retract its claws.
Synonyms
- (to draw out): prolong
Derived terms
Translations
To draw out; to extend, especially in duration.
To use a protractor.
|
to put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer
|
to extend; to protrude
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