DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Reach, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reached (Raught, the old preterit, is obsolete); p. pr. & vb. n. Reaching.]
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 cup. --2 Esd. xiv. 39.
3. To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to 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 touch 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 land reaches the river.
Thy desire . . . leads to no excess
That reaches blame. --Milton.
7. To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as.
Before this letter reaches your hands. --Pope.
8. 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.]
reaching
n 1: the act of physically reaching or thrusting out [syn: reach,
stretch]
2: accomplishment of an objective [syn: arrival]