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Meaning of reach
reach
Pronunciation: (rēch), [key] — v.t.
- to get to or get as far as in moving, going, traveling, etc.: The boat reached the shore.
- to come to or arrive at in some course of progress, action, etc.: Your letter never reached me.
- to succeed in touching or seizing with an outstretched hand, a pole, etc.: to reach a book on a high shelf.
- to stretch or hold out; extend: reaching out a hand in greeting.
- to stretch or extend so as to touch or meet: The bookcase reaches the ceiling.
- to establish communication with: I called but couldn't reach you.
- to amount to, as in the sum or total: The cost will reach millions.
- to penetrate to: distant stars the eye cannot reach.
- to succeed in striking or hitting, as with a weapon or missile: The artillery fire reached the shore.
- to succeed in making contact with, influencing, impressing, interesting, convincing, etc.: a program that reached a large teenage audience.
—v.i. - to make a stretch, as with the hand or arm.
- to become outstretched, as the hand or arm.
- to make a movement or effort as if to touch or seize something: to reach for a weapon.
- to extend in operation or effect: power that reaches throughout the land.
- to stretch in space; extend in direction, length, distance, etc.: a coat reaching to the knee; a tower reaching to the skies.
- to extend or continue in time.
- to get or come to a specified place, person, condition, etc. (often fol. by to).
- to amount (often fol. by to): sums reaching to a considerable total.
- to penetrate: Fields of flowers extended as far as the eye could reach.
- to assert or agree without certainty or sufficient evidence; infer hastily: I'd be reaching if I said I had the answer to your question.
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- to sail on a reach.
- to sail with the wind forward of the beam but so as not to require sailing close-hauled.
—n. - an act or instance of reaching: to make a reach for a gun.
- the extent or distance of reaching: within reach of his voice.
- range of effective action, power, or capacity.
- a continuous stretch or extent of something: a reach of woodland.
- Also calleda level portion of a canal, between locks.
- a point of sailing in which the wind is within a few points of the beam, either forward of the beamdirectly abeamor abaft the beam
- the pole connecting the rear axle of a wagon to the transverse bar or bolster over the front axle supporting the wagon bed.
- a straight portion of a river between two bends.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.