The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Reach \Reach\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reached (r[=e]cht)
   (Raught, the old preterit, is obsolete); p. pr. & vb. n.
   Reaching.] [OE. rechen, AS. r[=ae]can, r[=ae]cean, to
   extend, stretch out; akin to D. reiken, G. reichen, and
   possibly to AS. r[imac]ce powerful, rich, E. rich.
   [root]115.]
   1. To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a
      limb, a member, something held, or the like.
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            Her tresses yellow, and long straughten,
            Unto her heeles down they raughten.   --Rom. of R.
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            Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side.
                                                  --John xx. 27.
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            Fruit trees, over woody, reached too far
            Their pampered boughs.                --Milton.
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   2. Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially
      the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to
      hand over; as, to reach one a book.
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            He reached me a full cup.             --2 Esd. xiv.
                                                  39.
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   3. To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to
      extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so
      as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an
      object with the hand, or with a spear.
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            O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford,
            Than I may reach the beast.           --Dryden.
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   4. To strike, hit, or touch with a missile; as, to reach an
      object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell.
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   5. Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to
      penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as.
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            If these examples of grown men reach not the case of
            children, let them examine.           --Locke.
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   6. To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue
      of extent; as, his land reaches the river.
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            Thy desire . . . leads to no excess
            That reaches blame.                   --Milton.
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   7. To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as.
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            Before this letter reaches your hands. --Pope.
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   8. To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain;
      to be advanced to.
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            The best account of the appearances of nature which
            human penetration can reach, comes short of its
            reality.                              --Cheyne.
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   9. To understand; to comprehend. [Obs.]
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            Do what, sir? I reach you not.        --Beau. & Fl.
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   10. To overreach; to deceive. [Obs.] --South.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

reaching
    n 1: the act of physically reaching or thrusting out [syn:
         reach, reaching, stretch]
    2: accomplishment of an objective [syn: arrival, reaching]