stretcher

1 of 2

noun

stretch·​er ˈstre-chər 

1

a

: one that stretches

especially : a device or machine for stretching or expanding something

b

: an exaggerated story : a tall tale

2

a

: a brick or stone laid with its length parallel to the face of the wall

b

: a timber or rod used especially when horizontal as a tie in framed work

3

: a device for carrying a sick, injured, or dead person

4

: a rod or bar extending between two legs of a chair or table

stretcher

2 of 2

verb

stretchered; stretchering; stretchers

transitive verb

: to carry or transport on a stretcher

Examples of stretcher in a Sentence

Noun

They carried her out to the ambulance on a stretcher.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dramatic video shared on social media shows the man being carried on a stretcher as rescue workers surround him, applauding. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025

Medics arrived at some unspecified point, put him on a stretcher and took him to Elmhurst Hospital. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2025

Verb

Newman was, like many in the 1960s, disinclined to gentrify the compositions with a frame, so the only way to conceal the hardware that anchored canvas to stretcher was to move the tacking edge to the back of the paintings, which had thus become the true tacking edges. —Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025

The stool features stability stretchers on the base that double as footrests and create visual interest. —Addie Morton, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stretcher

• etcher
• lecher

Kids Definition

stretcher

noun

stretch·​er

ˈstrech-ər

1

: one that stretches

especially : a device or machine for stretching or expanding something

2

: a device that resembles a cot and is used for carrying a sick, injured, or dead person

Medical Definition

stretcher

noun

stretch·​er ˈstrech-ər 

: a device for carrying a sick, injured, or dead person