▪ I. protract, n.
(prəʊˈtrækt)
[ad. L. prōtractus a prolonging, protraction, f. prōtract-, ppl. stem of prōtrah-ĕre: see next.]
† 1. Prolongation or extension (of time); hence, delay, procrastination. Obs.
| 1536 St. Papers Hen. VIII, II. 298 The doing therof will aske a protracte of tyme. a 1640 Sir J. Ogle in Sir F. Vere's Comm. (1657) 143 By protract of time, and casualties of war, he found his numbers wasted. 1646 Unhappy Game at Scotch & Eng. 4 The difference would only be in the protract of time, not in the nature of the thing. |
† 2. A delineation, drawing. Cf. portrait. Obs. rare.
| 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. xix. 53 b, I made the draughtes and protractes heere represented vnto you [orig. ie fey les pourtraicts icy representez]. |
3. [f. the vb.] A ‘protracted meeting’: see protracted 1, quot. 1860. U.S. colloq.
| 1908 Mission Field Jan. 343 There is always a great religious awakening at the annual revival or ‘protract’... When the ‘protract’ is over their emotions are calmed and every man returns to his own ‘vine and fig tree’. |
▪ II. protract, v.
(prəʊˈtrækt)
Also 7 -traicte.
[f. L. prōtract-, ppl. stem of prōtrah-ĕre to draw forth, to prolong, extend, defer, f. prō, pro-1 1 + trah-ĕre to draw. With sense 6 cf. portray, the direct repr. of prōtrahĕre through OF. portraire.]
I. † 1. trans. To extend or prolong (time) so as to cause delay; to waste (time). Obs.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV 240 b, All these faire wordes wer onely delaies to protracte tyme. a 1660 Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.) II. 84 His father would protraicte time the best he could. 1769 Robertson Chas. V, ii. Wks. 1813 V. 296 This they did merely to protract time. |
2. To lengthen out (an action); to cause to continue or last longer; to extend in duration; to prolong. (The chief current sense.)
| 1563 [see protracting vbl. n. 1]. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. ii. 120 Else ne're could he so long protract his speech. 1614 Sylvester Bethulia's Rescue ii. 439 But, with thy Dayes thy Dolours to protrack, Thou shalt from hence unto Bethulia pack. 1700 Dryden Sigism. & Guiscardo 334 But I..Protracting life have liv'd a day too long. 1838 Thirlwall Greece V. xxxix. 101 Their stay was protracted for some weeks. 1855 Motley Dutch Rep. v. iii. (1866) 699 The dance upon the sward was protracted to a late hour. |
† 3. To put off, defer, postpone (an action). Obs.
(The date of the first quotation is very doubtful.)
| [1477 Norton Ord. Alch. Introd. in Ashm. (1652) 3 Sin protracts the gifts of Heaven.] 1553 Act 7 Edw. VI, c. 1 §16 If any Auditor..willingly protract or delay the taking of the same Accompt. a 1648 Ld. Herbert Hen. VIII (1683) 369 If the Interview..must needs follow (which yet he wished were protracted). 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. v. (1869) I. 97 He attempted, however, to prevent, or at least to protract, his ruin. 1808 E. Sleath Bristol Heiress IV. 219 Lord L―s' marriage, which had been protracted..was celebrated in Grosvenor-square. |
† b. To put off, defer (a person). Obs. rare.
| 1737 Whiston Josephus, Antiq. xi. iv. §4 Desire..to delay and protract the Jews in their zeal. |
† 4. intr. To make delay, to delay. Obs.
| 1611 Bible Neh. ix. 30 Yet many yeres diddest thou forbeare [marg. protract ouer] them. 1677 Govt. Venice 293 They had not lost the Battle of Vaila, had they..protracted but ten days. |
II. 5. trans. To extend in space or position.
| a 1658 J. Durham Exp. Rev. vi. (1680) 31 Concerning Christs Body on earth, or ubiquitie of his humanitie, or bodily presence with his churches, or for protracting of his Body. 1749 Smollett Regicide v. vii, To save his country, and protract his blaze Of glory, farther still! a 1850 Wordsw. (Ogilvie), Many a ramble, far And wide protracted, through the tamer ground Of these our unimaginative days. |
† b. To extend or amplify the signification of anything; to ‘stretch’. Obs. rare.
| 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 363 If any thing happen to oppose common Sense, they protract the meaning [of the prophecy] Mysteriously or Anagogically. |
III. 6. To draw, represent by a drawing [so med.L. prōtrahĕre]; spec. to draw to scale; to delineate by means of a scale and protractor (lines, angles, a figure); to plot out.
| 1563 Shute Archit. B ij b, An Architecte must..haue experte knowladg in drawing and protracting the thinge, which he hath conceyued. 1607 [see protraction 5]. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. 6 After you have taken the Angles..You must Protract or lay down the Figure. 1766 Compl. Farmer s.v. Surveying, How to measure a close, or parcel of land, and to protract it, and give up the content. 1881 E. Hull in Nature 22 Dec. 177/2 If we protract to a true scale the outlines of certain tracts of the British Isles. |