The Collaborative International Dictionary
Protract \Pro*tract"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Protracted; p. pr. vb. n. Protracting.] [L. protractus, p. p. of protrahere to forth, protract; pro forward + trahere to draw. See Portrait, Portray.]
To draw out or lengthen in time or (rarely) in space; to continue; to prolong; as, to protract an argument; to protract a war.
To put off to a distant time; to delay; to defer; as, to protract a decision or duty.
--Shak.(Surv.) To draw to a scale; to lay down the lines and angles of, with scale and protractor; to plot.
(Zo["o]l.) To extend; to protrude; as, the cat can protract its claws; -- opposed to retract.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of protract English)
Usage examples of "protracting".
I went to my charming mistress very early the following morning, and, although there was some danger in protracting our interview, we did not give it a thought, or, if we did, it only caused us to make good use of the short time that we could still devote to love.