reach
/ɹiːt͡ʃ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.94 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
Intransitive verb
verb
To give to someone by stretching out a limb, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another person; to hand over.
Transitive verb
verb
To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held, so as to touch, strike, grasp, etc.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "He reached for a weapon that was on the table."
- "He reached for his shoe with his legs."
- "to reach someone a book"
- "When Svend Fælling had promised to do so, saying that he thought himself strong and active enough for the encounter, the Troll reached him a heavy iron bar, and bade him show his strength on that."
- "to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear"
- "“I can't quite reach the pepper. Could you pass it to me?”"
Etymology
From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”). Cognate with Dutch reiken, German reichen.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₃reǵ-, *Hreyǵ-, rechen, rǣċan, *raikijan, *raikijaną
Usage
Inflected Forms
reaches (present, singular)
reaching (participle, present)
reached (participle, past)
reached (past)
raught (obsolete, participle)
raught (obsolete, past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
reached (first person, past)
raught (archaic, first person)
rought (archaic, first person)
retcht (archaic, first person)
Derived Forms
Phrases
broad-reaching
far-reaching
reach across the aisle
reach an early grave
reach down
reach for
reach for the moon
reach for the skies