strait

strait
—straitly, adv. —straitness, n.
/strayt/, n.
1. Often, straits. (used with a sing. v.) a narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water.
2. Often, straits. a position of difficulty, distress, or need: Ill and penniless, he was in sad straits indeed.
3. Archaic. a narrow passage or area.
4. an isthmus.
adj. Archaic.
5. narrow: Strait is the gate.
6. affording little space; confined in area.
7. strict, as in requirements or principles.
[1150-1200; ME streit < OF estreit < L strictus ptp. of stringere to bind; see STRAIN1]
Syn. 2. exigency, pinch, dilemma, predicament, plight. See emergency.
Ant. 2. ease.

* * *

(as used in expressions)
Belle Isle Strait of
Canso Strait of
Dover Strait of
Evripos Strait
Georgia Strait of
Gibraltar Strait of
Hormuz Strait of
Strait of Ormuz
Magellan Strait of
Malacca Strait of
Mandeb Strait of
Messina Strait of

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, , , , , , (especially between two seas), , / , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Strait — Strait, n.; pl. {Straits}. [OE. straight, streit, OF. estreit, estroit. See {Strait}, a.] 1. A narrow pass or passage. [1913 Webster] He brought him through a darksome narrow strait To a broad gate all built of beaten gold. Spenser. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Strait — Strait, a. [Compar. {Straiter}; superl. {Straitest}.] [OE. straight, streyt, streit, OF. estreit, estroit, F. [ e]troit, from L. strictus drawn together, close, tight, p. p. of stringere to draw tight. See 2nd {Strait}, and cf. {Strict}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • strait — n 1 Strait, sound, channel, passage, narrows can all denote a long and comparatively narrow stretch of water connecting two larger bodies. Strait, often as the plural straits with either singular or plural construction, denotes a relatively short …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Strait — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: George Strait (* 1952), US amerikanischer Musiker George Strait Jr. (George „Bubba“ Strait Jr.; * 1981), US amerikanischer Country Sänger, Songwriter und Rodeocowboy Horace B. Strait (1835–1894), US… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • strait — strait·en; strait·ly; strait·ness; strait; strait·laced·ly; strait·laced·ness; …   English syllables

  • strait — [streıt] n [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: strait narrow (13 20 centuries), from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus; STRICT] 1.) also straits [plural] a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas ▪ the Bering… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • strait — (n.) mid 14c., narrow, confined space or place, specifically of bodies of water from late 14c., noun use of adj. strait narrow, strict (late 13c.), from O.Fr. estreit (Fr. étroit) tight, close, narrow (also used as a noun), from L. strictus, pp.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Strait — Strait, a. A variant of {Straight}. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Strait — Strait, adv. Strictly; rigorously. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Strait — Strait, v. t. To put to difficulties. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • strait — [n1] crisis, difficulty bewilderment, bind, bottleneck*, choke point*, contingency, crossroad, dilemma, distress, embarrassment, emergency, exigency, extremity, hardship, hole*, mess*, mystification, pass, perplexity, pinch*, plight, predicament …   New thesaurus

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