Definition: reach

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

reach
     n 1: the limits within which something can be effective; "range
          of motion"; "he was beyond the reach of their fire"
          [syn: range]
     2: an area in which something acts or operates or has power or
        control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "the ambit of
        municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this
        article"; within the scope of an investigation"; "outside
        the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world
        power" [syn: scope, range, orbit, compass, ambit]
     3: the act of physically reaching or thrusting out [syn: reaching,
         stretch]
     4: the limit of capability; "within the compass of education"
        [syn: compass, range, grasp]
     v 1: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit
          Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We
          barely made the plane"; "I have to hit the MAC machine
          before the weekend starts" [syn: attain, make, hit,
           arrive at, gain]
     2: reach a point in time, or a certain state or level; "The
        thermometer hit 100 degrees"; "This car can reach a speed
        of 140 miles per hour" [syn: hit, attain]
     3: move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a
        metaphorical sense: "Government reaches out to the people"
        [syn: reach out]
     4: be in communication with, establish communication with; "Our
        advertisements reach millions"; "He never contacted his
        children after he emigrated to Australia" [syn: get
        through, get hold of, contact]
     5: to gain with effort: "she achieved her goal despite
        setbacks." [syn: achieve, accomplish, attain]
     6: to extend as far as, "The sunlight reached the wall";"Can he
        reach?" [syn: extend to, touch]
     7: reach a goal, e.g., "make the first team"; "We made it!"
        "She may not make the grade" [syn: make, get to, progress
        to]
     8: place into the hands or custody of; "Turn the files over to
        me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers"
        [syn: pass, hand, pass on, turn over, give]
     9: to exert much effort or energy: "straining our ears to
        hear." [syn: strive, strain]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Retch \Retch\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Retched; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Retching.] [AS. hr?can to clear the throat, hawk, fr. hraca
   throat; akin to G. rachen, and perhaps to E. rack neck.]
   To make an effort to vomit; to strain, as in vomiting.
   [Written also reach.]

         Beloved Julia, hear me still beseeching! (Here he grew
         inarticulate with retching.)             --Byron.

Reach \Reach\, n.
   An effort to vomit. [R.]

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.

Reach \Reach\, n.
   1. The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of
      reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or
      something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my
      reach; to be within reach of cannon shot.

   2. The power of stretching out or extending action,
      influence, or the like; power of attainment or management;
      extent of force or capacity.

            Drawn by others who had deeper reaches than
            themselves to matters which they least intended.
                                                  --Hayward.

            Be sure yourself and your own reach to know. --Pope.

   3. Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence;
      result; scope.

            And on the left hand, hell, With long reach,
            interposed.                           --Milton.

            I am to pray you not to strain my speech To grosser
            issues, nor to larger reach Than to suspicion.
                                                  --Shak.

   4. An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a
      straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to
      another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an
      arm of the sea extending up into the land. ``The river's
      wooded reach.'' --Tennyson.

            The coast . . . is very full of creeks and reaches.
                                                  --Holland.

   5. An article to obtain an advantage.

            The Duke of Parma had particular reaches and ends of
            his own underhand to cross the design. --Bacon.

   6. The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the
      forward bolster of a wagon.

Reach \Reach\, v. t.
   1. To stretch out the hand.

            Goddess humane, reach, then, and freely taste!
                                                  --Milton.

   2. To strain after something; to make efforts.

            Reaching above our nature does no good. --Dryden.

   3. To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence,
      etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to,
      something.

            And behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top
            of it reached to heaven.              --Gen. xxviii.
                                                  12.

            The new world reaches quite across the torrid zone.
                                                  --Boyle.

   4. (Naut.) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking
      to another, or with the ind nearly abeam.

   To reach after or at, to make efforts to attain to or
      obtain.

            He would be in the mind reaching after a positive
            idea of infinity.                     --Locke.

Source: V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms December 2001

REACH
        Research and Educational Applications of Computers in the Humanities

REACH, n.  The radius of action of the human hand.  The area within
which it is possible (and customary) to gratify directly the
propensity to provide.

    This is a truth, as old as the hills,
        That life and experience teach:
    The poor man suffers that keenest of ills,
        An impediment of his reach.
                                                                  G.J.