strait

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   narrow

   strait is the gate

2. 2
   adj

   Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.

   Sweet oil was poured out on thy head And ran down like cool rain between The strait close locks it melted in.

3. 3
   adj

   Righteous, strict.

   to follow the strait and narrow

4. 4
   adj

   Tight; close; tight-fitting.

   Palamon. […] Stay a little, Is not this peece too streight? Arcite. No, no, tis well.

5. 5
   adj

   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 […]

6. 6
   adj

   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.

7. 7
   adj

   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.

8. 8
   adj

   Obsolete spelling of straight, now a misspelling of straight.

   He was of stature somewhat under the middle size, but strait and well shap'd.

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.