strait

English

Etymology

From Middle English streit, from Anglo-Norman estreit, Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of strict.

Pronunciation

Adjective

strait (comparative straiter, superlative straitest)

  1. (archaic) Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
    • 1866, Algernon Swinburne, Aholibah, lines 53-55
      Sweet oil was poured out on thy head
      And ran down like cool rain between
      The strait close locks it melted in.
    • 1900, Ernest Dowson, To One in Bedlam, lines 3-5
      Those scentless wisps of straw, that miserably line
      His strait, caged universe, whereat the dull world stares,
      Pedant and pitiful.
  2. (archaic) Righteous, strict.
    To follow the strait and narrow

Usage notes

The adjective is often confused with straight.

Derived terms

Noun

strait (plural straits)

Sketch of a strait connecting two larger bodies of water.
Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

  1. (geography) A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
    The Strait of Gibraltar
  2. A difficult position (often used in plural)
    To be in dire straits

Derived terms

Translations

narrow channel of water
a difficult position
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

strait (third-person singular simple present straits, present participle straiting, simple past and past participle straited)

  1. (obsolete) To put to difficulties.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Adverb

strait (comparative more strait, superlative most strait)

  1. (obsolete) Strictly; rigorously.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Anagrams

↑Jump back a section
Last modified on 19 May 2013, at 23:42