Protract

v. t. [imp. & p. p. PROTRACTED; p. pr. & vb. n. PROTRACTING.] [Lat. protrahere, protractum, from pro, forward, and trahere, to draw; It. protrarre, protrarre.]

1. To draw out or lengthen in time; to continue; to prolong; as, to protract an argument; to protract a discussion; to protract a war.
2. To put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer; as, to protract the decision of a question; to protract the final issue.
3. (Surv.) To draw to a scale; to lay down with scale and protractor, as the lines and angles of a piece of land; to plot.