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To draw out or lengthen in time or (rarely) in space; to continue; to prolong; as, to protract an argument; to protract a war.

Prolonged; continued. Protracted meeting,a religious meeting continued for many successive days. [U. S.] -- Pro*tract"ed*ly, adv. -- Pro*tract"ed*ness, n.

A protractor.

Capable of being protracted, or protruded; protrusile.

the act of delaying the termination of a thing; prolongation; continuance; delay; as, the protraction of a debate. A protraction only of what is worst in life. Mallock.

Drawing out or lengthening in time; prolonging; continuing; delaying. He suffered their protractive arts. Dryden.

One who, or that which, protracts, or causes protraction.

To protract or extend in duration; to preserve or persist in; to cease not. O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee. Ps. xxxvi. 10. You know how to make yourself happy by only continuing such a life as you have been long acustomed to lead. Pope.

vening space or time; uninterrupted; unbroken; continual; unceasing; constant; continued; protracted; extended; as, a continuous line of railroad; a continuous current of electricity. he can hear its continuous murmur. Longfellow.

A drawing instrument, combining a protractor and scale.

To extend in length; to lengthen; to protract; to stretch; to extend, as a mass of metal into wire. How long her face is drawn! Shak. And the huge Offa's dike which he drew from the mouth of Wye to that of Dee. J. R. Green.

The act of lengthening, or the state of being lengthened; protraction; extension. "Elongation of the fibers." Arbuthnot.

The protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf, or other like sound.

provisions or of sailors. The great scandal of our naval service -- impressment -- died a protracted death. J. H. Burton.

Without termination; admitting no limit; boundless; endless; wearisomely protracted; as, interminable space or duration; interminable sufferings. That wild interminable waste of waves. Grainger.

To utter a prolonged tone or a deep, protracted sound; to speak or recite in a measured, sonorous manner; to intonate. Pope.

To protract; to draw out. [Obs.] She lingers my desires. Shak.

Drawn out in time; remaining long; protracted; as, a lingering disease. To die is the fate of man; but to die with lingering anguish is generally his folly. Rambler.

Drawn out in a line, or in the direction of length; protracted; extended; as, a long line; -- opposed to short, and distinguished from broad or wide.

In the army, a soldier who feigns himself sick, or who induces or protracts an illness, in order to avoid doing his duty; hence, in general, one who shirks his duty by pretending illness or inability.