Pronunciation: ' strech- ˌ au ̇ t
Function: noun
Date: 1930
1 : a system of industrial operation in which workers are required to do extra work with slight or with no additional pay
2 : the act of stretching out : the state of being stretched out
3 : an economizing measure that spreads a limited quantity over a larger field than orig. intended: as a : a slackening of production schedules so that a quantity of goods will be produced over a longer period than initially planned b : a restructuring of a loan repayment schedule over an extended period of time