stretcher

American  

[strech-er] / ˈstrɛtʃ ər /

noun

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a kind of litter, often of canvas stretched on a frame, for carrying the sick, wounded, or dead.

   2. a similar litter on wheels, adapted for use in ambulances and hospitals.

2. a person or thing that stretches.

3. any of various instruments for extending, widening, distending, etc.

4. a bar, beam, or fabricated material, serving as a tie or brace.

5. Masonry. a brick or stone laid in a wall so that its longer edge is exposed or parallel to the surface.

6. a simple wooden framework on which the canvas for an oil painting is stretched.

7. Furniture.

   1. a framework connecting and bracing the legs of a piece of furniture.

   2. one member of this framework.

8. a crosspiece that is set athwart and near the bottom in a small boat, and against which the feet of a rower are braced.

9. one of the thin, sliding rods connecting the canopy and handle of an umbrella.

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verb (used with object)

1. to stretch (canvas for a painting) on a stretcher.

stretcher British  

/ ˈstrɛtʃə /

noun

1. a device for transporting the ill, wounded, or dead, consisting of a frame covered by canvas or other material

2. a strengthening often decorative member joining the legs of a chair, table, etc

3. the wooden frame on which canvas is stretched and fixed for oil painting

4. a tie beam or brace used in a structural framework

5. a brick or stone laid horizontally with its length parallel to the length of a wall Compare header

6. rowing a fixed board across a boat on which an oarsman braces his feet

7. a camp bed

8. slang an exaggeration or lie

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verb

1. to transport (a sick or injured person) on a stretcher

Etymology

Origin of stretcher

First recorded in 1375–1425, stretcher is from the late Middle English word stretcher. See stretch, -er ¹

Explanation

In a hospital, a stretcher is a device used to carry a person who must lie flat and can't move on their own. It takes two strong people to carry a patient on a stretcher. Although the words are sometimes used interchangeably, a stretcher is different from a gurney, which is fitted with wheels and can be moved by a single person. Stretchers are more portable and tend to be used in emergency situations, especially on battlefields and in wilderness search-and-rescue operations. When an artist, (rather than a doctor or ambulance driver) uses the word stretcher, they generally mean "wooden frame on which a canvas is stretched for painting."

Example Sentences

A title favorite this year from Unitree, one of China’s top humanoid-robot makers, collapsed several times and was taken off the track on a stretcher, leaving the race unfinished.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The France forward left the pitch at Anfield on a stretcher, and Liverpool fear he faces a long absence, and that he may miss the start of next season.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

She was given medical help for about 10 minutes before being dragged off the course on a stretcher.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

He sustained a leg injury during a collision with Tom Wilson and was taken off the ice on a stretcher late in Switzerland’s loss to Canada at the Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

There was a padded bench on each side of the stretcher.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings