tighten

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   become tight or tighter

   The rope tightened

2. 2
   verb

   To make tighter.

   Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.

3. 3
   verb

   To become tighter.

   That joint is tightening as the wood dries.

4. 4
   verb

   To make money harder to borrow or obtain.

   If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.

5. 5
   verb

   To raise short-term interest rates.

   The Fed is expected to tighten by a quarter-point.

6. 6
   verb

   narrow or limit

7. 7
   verb

   restrict

8. 8
   verb

   make tight or tighter

Etymology

Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).