From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.
Meanings
(archaic) Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
Where shall we keep the holiday,
And duly greet the entering May?
Too strait and low our cottage doors,
And all unmeet our carpet floors; […] 1867, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “May-Day”, in May-Day and Other Pieces, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, pages 14–15:
Sweet oil was poured out on thy head
And ran down like cool rain between
The strait close locks it melted in. 1866, Algernon Swinburne, “Aholibah”, in Poems and Ballads, London: John Camden Hotten, page 311:
1894, Ernest Dowson, “To One in Bedlam” in The Second Book of The Rhymers’ Club, London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, p. 35,
Those scentless wisps of straw, that miserably line
His strait, caged universe, whereat the dull world stares,
Pedant and pitiful.
(archaic) Righteous, strict.
[…] after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 26:5:
to follow the strait and narrow
[he] takes on him to reform
Some certain edicts and some strait decrees
That lie too heavy on the commonwealth, c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
(obsolete) Tight; close; tight-fitting.
Palamon. […] Stay a little,
Is not this peece too streight?
Arcite. No, no, tis well. 1613–1614, William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, “The Two Noble Kinsmen”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act III, scene vii:
(obsolete) Close; intimate; near; familiar.
After the noble Prince Leonatus had by his fathers death succeeded in the kingdome of Galatia, he (forgetting all former iniuries) had receiued that naughtie Plexirtus into a streight degree of fauour […] a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
(obsolete) Difficult; distressful.
18th c., Thomas Secker, Sermons on Several Subjects, 2nd edition, 1771, Volume III, Sermon XI, p. 253,
But to make your strait Circumstances yet straiter, for the Sake of idle Gratifications, and distress yourselves in Necessaries, only to indulge in Trifles and Vanities, delicate Food, shewish Dress, ensnaring Diversions, is every Way wrong.
(obsolete) Parsimonious; stingy; mean.
[…] I do not ask you much,
I beg cold comfort; and you are so strait
And so ingrateful, you deny me that. c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene vii]:
(alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete spelling of straight, now a misspelling of straight.
He was of stature somewhat under the middle size, but strait and well shap'd. 1690, “Preface to the Reader”, in A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies, London: Randal Taylor, page ii:
A strait Line over a Vowel denotes the Omission of the Letter m or n following:
quā--quam‖nō--non‖[…]
[…]
The strait Line over m in the Middle of a Word denotes the Omission of the Letter n following:
om̄es--omnes‖om̄ia--omnia 1810, Record Commission, The Statutes of the Realm. Printed by Command of His Majesty King George the Third in pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons of Great Britain. From Original Records and Manuscripts., volume 1, page lxiii:
From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.
Meanings
(obsolete) Strictly; rigorously.
Lords, take your places; and, I pray you all,
Proceed no straiter ’gainst our uncle Gloucester
Than from true evidence of good esteem
He be approved in practise culpable. 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.
Meanings
A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
[…] we steered directly through a large Out-let, which they call a Streight, tho’ it be fifteen Miles broad […] 1720, [Daniel Defoe], The Life, Adventures, and Pyracies, of the Famous Captain Singleton, London: […] J[ohn] Brotherton, […], J[ohn] Graves […], A[nne] Dodd, […], and T[homas] Warner, […], →OCLC, pages 232–233:
the Strait of Gibraltar
A narrow pass, passage or street.
He brought him through a darksom narrow strayt,
To a broad gate all built of beaten gold: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 282:
For honour travels in a strait so narrow,
Where one but goes abreast: c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
A neck of land; an isthmus.
The bold Sir Bedivere uplifted him,
Sir Bedivere, the last of all his knights,
And bore him to a chapel nigh the field,
A broken chancel with a broken cross,
That stood on a dark strait of barren land. 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 4:
(in-plural, often) A difficult position.
1684, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached at Westminster-Abbey” in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bennett, 1692, p. 420,
[…] let no man, who owns the Belief of a Providence, grow desperate or forlorn, under any Calamity or Strait whatsoever […]
to be in dire straits
Plutarch is of opinion that this sleep of Ulysses was feigned; and that he made use of the pretence of natural infirmity to conceal the streights he was in at that time in his thoughts […] 1725, Homer, “(please specify the book or chapter of the Odyssey)”, in [William Broome, Elijah Fenton, Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 19:
it stretta (difficult position) · mk те́снина (narrow pass, passage or street) · fa-ira تَنْگْنا (difficult position) · th ช่องแคบ (narrow channel of water) · kk бұғаз (narrow channel of water) · nrf dêtrait (narrow channel of water) · nb strete (narrow channel of water) · sl preliv (narrow channel of water) · az boğaz (narrow channel of water) · mi awa (narrow channel of water) · bg про́лив (narrow channel of water) · ja 海峡 (narrow channel of water) · it stretto (narrow channel of water) · ur آب نائے (narrow channel of water) · hi जलसंयोगी (narrow channel of water) · ga caol (narrow channel of water) · mr सामुद्रधुनी (narrow channel of water) · ru затрудне́ние (difficult position) · ja 苦境 (difficult position) · ckb تەنگە (narrow channel of water) · cy culfor (narrow channel of water) · fi kapeikko (isthmus) · id selat (narrow channel of water) · ky кысык (narrow channel of water) · he צָרָה (difficult position) · vro salm (narrow channel of water) · de Enge (narrow channel of water) · ar بُوغَاز (narrow channel of water) · mk тешко́тија (difficult position) · gd caol (narrow channel of water) · uk прото́ка (narrow channel of water) · ca estret (narrow channel of water) · grc πορθμός (narrow channel of water) · arz مضيق (narrow channel of water) · sl ožina (narrow channel of water) · crh boğaz (narrow channel of water) · ja 困難 (difficult position) · tr boğaz (narrow channel of water) · bn প্রণালী (narrow channel of water) · fi salmi (narrow channel of water) · lv šaurums (narrow channel of water) · vi eo biển (narrow channel of water) · ta நீரிணை (narrow channel of water) · nl zee-engte (narrow channel of water) · ur آبْنائے (narrow channel of water) · es aprieto (difficult position) · hi जलडमरूमध्य (narrow channel of water) · nl nauw (difficult position) · mi kūititanga (isthmus) · ps ترۍ (narrow channel of water) · tg гулӯгоҳ (narrow channel of water) · ru прото́к (narrow channel of water) · cy swnt (narrow channel of water) · de Straße (narrow channel of water) · el πορθμός (narrow channel of water) · nog богаз (narrow channel of water) · sh tjèsnac (narrow channel of water) · nl straat (narrow channel of water) · km ច្រកសមុទ្រ (narrow channel of water) · nl zeestraat (narrow channel of water) · pl cieśnina (narrow channel of water) · sw mlango wa bahari (narrow channel of water) · nl nauw (narrow channel of water) · ml ജലസന്ധി (narrow channel of water) · ba боғаҙ (narrow channel of water) · mn тэнгисийн хоолой (narrow channel of water) · lo ຊ່ອງແຄບ (narrow channel of water) · ko 해협 (narrow channel of water) · te జలసంధి (narrow channel of water) · el στενό (narrow pass, passage or street) · gu સામુદ્રધુની (narrow channel of water) · mk те́снец (narrow channel of water) · fi kannas (isthmus) · is sund (narrow channel of water) · yi דורכגוס (narrow channel of water) · mk про́ток (narrow channel of water) · ill tarusan (narrow channel of water) · ota بوغاز (narrow channel of water) · se čoalbmi (narrow channel of water) · my ပင်လယ်လက်ကြား (narrow channel of water) · mel selet (narrow channel of water) · nb kanal (narrow channel of water) · mk те́снец (difficult position) · nb strede (narrow channel of water) · gl estreito (narrow channel of water) · hy նեղուց (narrow channel of water) · hi तंगी (narrow channel of water) · mk мо́реуз (narrow channel of water) · kum пролив (narrow channel of water) · br strizh-mor (narrow channel of water) · be прато́ка (narrow channel of water) · sh тјѐснац (narrow channel of water) · sh шкрѝпац (difficult position) · ro strâmtoare (difficult position) · ar مَضِيق (narrow channel of water) · tt бугаз (narrow channel of water) · sk prieliv (narrow channel of water) · fr détroit (narrow channel of water) · mi kūititanga (narrow channel of water) · my ရေလက်ကြား (narrow channel of water) · eo markolo (narrow channel of water) · ml കടലിടുക്ക് (narrow channel of water) · sv sund (narrow channel of water) · be пралі́ў (narrow channel of water) · es paso (narrow channel of water) · sv nor (narrow channel of water) · gl freo (narrow channel of water) · da sund (narrow channel of water) · fi kapeikko (narrow pass, passage or street) · da nor (narrow channel of water) · yue 海峽 /海峡 (narrow channel of water) · hu szoros (narrow channel of water) · ru затрудни́тельное положе́ние (difficult position) · pt aperto (difficult position) · ru проли́в (narrow channel of water) · fa-ira تَنْگِه (narrow channel of water) · hi आबनाए (narrow channel of water) · tk bogaz (narrow channel of water) · ug بوغۇز (narrow channel of water) · rsk морйоуз (narrow channel of water) · cs průliv (narrow channel of water) · ps آبنا (narrow channel of water) · sh tèsnac (narrow channel of water) · yi דורכגאָס (narrow channel of water) · prs تَنْگَه (narrow channel of water) · bg про́ток (narrow channel of water) · fi kiipeli (difficult position) · si සමුද්රසන්ධි (narrow channel of water) · sh морѐуз (narrow channel of water) · am ወሽመጥ (narrow channel of water) · ro strâmtoare (narrow channel of water) · pt estreito (narrow channel of water) · rue проли́в (narrow channel of water) · la fretum (narrow channel of water) · kn ಜಲಸಂಧಿ (narrow channel of water) · pa ਪਣਜੋੜ (narrow channel of water) · ms selat (narrow channel of water) · ne जलसन्धि (narrow channel of water) · ar مُخْتَنَق (narrow channel of water) · sh škrìpac (difficult position) · sh тѐснац (narrow channel of water) · hi जलडमरू (narrow channel of water) · cy cyfyngfor (narrow channel of water) · pl przesmyk (narrow channel of water) · bg затрудне́ние (difficult position) · sq ngushticë (narrow channel of water) · mn хоолой (narrow channel of water) · et väin (narrow channel of water) · nb sund (narrow channel of water) · de Meerenge (narrow channel of water) · da stræde (narrow channel of water) · uk проли́в (narrow channel of water) · hi जलसंधि (narrow channel of water) · tl kipot (narrow channel of water) · eu itsasate (narrow channel of water) · km ដៃសមុទ្រ (narrow channel of water) · kmr tengav (narrow channel of water) · ckb تەنگەڵان (narrow channel of water) · bn প্রণালি (narrow channel of water) · cmn 海峽 /海峡 (narrow channel of water) · lt sąsiauris (narrow channel of water) · ka სრუტე (narrow channel of water) · uz boʻgʻoz (narrow channel of water) · es estrecho (narrow channel of water) · ja 難局 (difficult position) · sh morèuz (narrow channel of water) · he מיצר \ מֵצַר (narrow channel of water) · mk те́снец (narrow pass, passage or street) · nan-hbl 海峽 /海峡 (narrow channel of water)
From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To confine; put to difficulties.
[…] If your lass
Interpretation should abuse and call this
Your lack of love or bounty, you were straited
For a reply […] c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
After Bardus, the Celtes […] were in short tyme, and with small labour broughte vnder the subiection of the Giaunt Albion, the sonne of Neptune, who altering the state of things here in this yland, straited the name of Celtica and the Celtes within the boundes of Gallia […] 1577, Raphael Holinshed, Holinshed’s Chronicles, volume 1, London: The Historie of Englande, page 3:
The King, Duke of York, Prince Rupert and Maurice are still at Oxford closely surrounded by the Parliaments Forces, and the other not well resolving what course to take, all their Horse being about Faringdon, in expectation of the Lord Ashley with his Foot to joyn in a Body, if they be not prevented by Colonel Fleetwood and Rainsborough, straiting and allarming Oxford very often […] 1658, William Sanderson, A Compleat History of the Life and Raigne of King Charles, London: Humphrey Moseley, et al, page 885: