outstretch

Etymology

From Middle English outstrecchen, equivalent to out- + stretch. Cognate with West Frisian útstreekje (“to outstretch”), Dutch uitstrekken (“to outstretch”), German Low German utstrecken (“to outstretch”), German ausstrecken (“to outstretch”), Danish udstrække (“to outstretch”), Swedish utsträcka (“to outstretch”).

verb

1. To extend by stretching
   She knew from avalanche safety courses that outstretched hands might puncture the ice surface and alert rescuers. She knew that if victims ended up buried under the snow, cupped hands in front of the face could provide a small pocket of air for the mouth and nose. Without it, the first breaths could create a suffocating ice mask. 2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Time