| Protract 1. (v. t.) To draw out or lengthen in time; to continue; to prolong; as, to protract an argument; to protract a war. 2. (v. t.) To put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer; as, to protract a decision or duty. 3. (v. t.) To draw to a scale; to lay down the lines and angles of, with scale and protractor; to plot. 4. (v. t.) To extend; to protrude; as, the cat can protract its claws; -- opposed to retract. 5. (n.) Tedious continuance or delay. Thesaurus Entries adjourn, chatter, continue, dawdle, defer, delay, drag out, draw, draw out, dwell on, elongate, extend, fill out, hang fire, hang up, hold, hold off, hold over, hold up, keep, keep alive, keep going, keep up, lay aside, lay by, lay over, lengthen, lengthen out, let out, linger on, maintain, never finish, pad, perorate, perpetuate, pigeonhole, postpone, preserve, procrastinate, produce, prolong, prolongate, prorogate, prorogue, pull, push aside, put aside, put off, put on ice, recess, reserve, retain, run out, set aside, set by, shelve, shift off, sleep on, speak at length, spin out, stand over, stave off, stay, strain, stretch, stretch out, string out, suspend, sustain, table, take a recess, tauten, temporize, tense, tighten, waive |