straight, strait

straight, strait
Straight, as an adjective, means "uncurved," "direct," "unswerving": "The road is straight." "When you tell that story, try to keep a straight face." As an adverb, straight means "directly" and "honestly": "Please go straight home." "Don't lie, speak straight." Strait means (1) "a narrow passage of water"; (2) "restricted," "confined"; (3) "a position of difficulty or distress" (usually in the plural): "This strait is just wide enough to accommodate the large ship." "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way." "You must be in desperate straits for companionship."

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • straight / strait —    Straight is an adjective that means having no bends or curve s: Pimsley s walking cane is as straight as an arrow.    A strait is a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water: The Bering Strait lies between Alaska and Siberia …   Confused words

  • straight / strait —    Straight is an adjective that means having no bends or curve s: Pimsley s walking cane is as straight as an arrow.    A strait is a narrow channel connecting two bodies of water: The Bering Strait lies between Alaska and Siberia …   Confused words

  • straight — straight, strait 1. Straight is a Middle English past participle of the verb stretch and has many meanings in modern English, primarily ‘extending uniformly in the same direction without a curve or bend’. Strait, which has the basic meaning… …   Modern English usage

  • strait — straight, strait 1. Straight is a Middle English past participle of the verb stretch and has many meanings in modern English, primarily ‘extending uniformly in the same direction without a curve or bend’. Strait, which has the basic meaning… …   Modern English usage

  • strait — See straight, strait …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • straight — See straight, strait …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • Strait — Strait, n.; pl. {Straits}. [OE. straight, streit, OF. estreit, estroit. See {Strait}, a.] 1. A narrow pass or passage. [1913 Webster] He brought him through a darksome narrow strait To a broad gate all built of beaten gold. Spenser. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • strait — (n.) mid 14c., narrow, confined space or place, specifically of bodies of water from late 14c., noun use of adj. strait narrow, strict (late 13c.), from O.Fr. estreit (Fr. étroit) tight, close, narrow (also used as a noun), from L. strictus, pp.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Strait — Strait, a. [Compar. {Straiter}; superl. {Straitest}.] [OE. straight, streyt, streit, OF. estreit, estroit, F. [ e]troit, from L. strictus drawn together, close, tight, p. p. of stringere to draw tight. See 2nd {Strait}, and cf. {Strict}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Strait — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: George Strait (* 1952), US amerikanischer Musiker George Strait Jr. (George „Bubba“ Strait Jr.; * 1981), US amerikanischer Country Sänger, Songwriter und Rodeocowboy Horace B. Strait (1835–1894), US… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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