strait
[ streyt ]
/ streɪt /
noun
Often straits. (used with a singular verb) a narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water.
Often straits. a position of difficulty, distress, or need: Ill and penniless, he was in sad straits indeed.
Archaic. a narrow passage or area.
an isthmus.
adjective Archaic.
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Origin of strait
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English streit “narrow, a strait,” from Old French estreit “narrow, tight,” from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere “to tighten, bind”; see strain1
SYNONYMS FOR strait
synonym study for strait
2. See emergency.
OTHER WORDS FROM strait
straitly, adverbstraitness, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH strait
straight, strait .Words nearby strait
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for strait
British Dictionary definitions for strait
strait
/ (streɪt) /
noun
(often plural)
- a narrow channel of the sea linking two larger areas of sea
- (capital as part of a name)the Strait of Gibraltar
(often plural) a position of acute difficulty (often in the phrase in dire or desperate straits)
archaic a narrow place or passage
adjective archaic
(of spaces, etc) affording little room
(of circumstances, etc) limiting or difficult
severe, strict, or scrupulous
Derived forms of strait
straitly, adverbstraitness, nounWord Origin for strait
C13: from Old French estreit narrow, from Latin strictus constricted, from stringere to bind tightly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for strait
strait
[ strāt ]
n.
A narrow passage, such as the upper or lower opening of the pelvic canal.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for strait
strait
[ strāt ]
A narrow waterway joining two larger bodies of water. The Strait of Gibraltar, for example, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.