strait

B2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /stɹeɪt/ See IPA manual

Homophones

straight /stɹeɪt/

Freq #24991

Meanings

1

noun
A narrow channel of sea connecting two larger areas of water.

Ships pass through the strait between the two islands every day.
2

noun
A difficult situation, especially money trouble (usually plural: straits).

After losing his job, the family was in dire straits.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms straits

Derived forms cross-straitstrait-handedstrait-lacedstraitjacketstraitlystraitnessstraitwaistcoat

Etymology

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.

streit Middle English estreit Old French strictus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# strait

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /stɹeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 24991

## Meanings
1. A narrow channel of sea connecting two larger areas of water.
2. A difficult situation, especially money trouble (usually plural: straits).

## Examples
- Ships pass through the strait between the two islands every day.
- After losing his job, the family was in dire straits.

## Derived Forms
- cross-strait
- strait-handed
- strait-laced
- straitjacket
- straitly
- straitness
- straitwaistcoat

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: streit
- Root: estreit
- Root: strictus

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Strait is 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. In present-day use, it can mean a narrow channel of sea connecting two larger areas of water, or a difficult situation, especially money trouble (usually plural: straits).

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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