To pull or extend something to make it longer or wider; or to extend your muscles or body for comfort.
From Old English 'streccan,' possibly related to Old Norse 'strekja.' The word has meant 'to extend' since before 1000 AD.
Cats stretch constantly after sleeping because their muscles naturally shorten—when you see a cat do that perfect yoga-like stretch, they're actually doing important physical therapy that humans ignore until we get sore!
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