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.

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