reach

A2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /riːtʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like rich /ɪ/ vs /iː/ Sounds like leach /l/ vs /r/

verb Freq #1075

Meanings

1

verb
To stretch out your arm, especially to touch or take something.

He reached for a weapon that was on the table.
2

verb
To arrive at or get to a place or point.

We reached the top of the hill at noon.
3

verb
To extend as far as a certain point.

The sunlight reached the back wall of the room.
4

verb
To make contact with someone, especially by phone or message.

You can reach me on my mobile any time.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to arrive at or get to a... touch

3 verb · to extend as far as a... touch

4 verb · to make contact with... contact

Word family

Forms reachedreachesreaching

Derived forms areachatreachbroad-reachingfar-reachingfarreachingforereachhighreachingmisreachoutreach overreachreach-me-downreach-through

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”).

*h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- Proto-Indo-European rechen Middle English rǣċan Old English *raikijan Proto-West Germanic *raikijaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Actions & Processes

# reach

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** riːtʃ
**Frequency rank:** 1075

## Meanings
1. To stretch out your arm, especially to touch or take something.
2. To arrive at or get to a place or point.
3. To extend as far as a certain point.
4. To make contact with someone, especially by phone or message.

## Examples
- He reached for a weapon that was on the table.
- We reached the top of the hill at noon.
- The sunlight reached the back wall of the room.
- You can reach me on my mobile any time.

## Derived Forms
- areach
- atreach
- broad-reaching
- far-reaching
- farreaching
- forereach
- highreaching
- misreach
- outreach
- overreach
- reach-me-down
- reach-through

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃reǵ-
- Root: *Hreyǵ-
- Root: rechen
- Root: rǣċan
- Root: *raikijan
- Root: *raikijaną

## Etymology
From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”).

## AI Etymology
Reach comes from Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”). Modern senses include to stretch out your arm, especially to touch or take something. and to arrive at or get to a place or point.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as areach, atreach, broad-reaching, far-reaching, farreaching, and forereach.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Actions & Processes

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