Definition of "strait"
strait
adjective
comparative straiter, superlative straitest
Quotations
[he] takes on him to reform / Some certain edicts and some strait decrees / That lie too heavy on the commonwealth,
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene iii]
(obsolete) Close; intimate; near; familiar.
Quotations
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 […]
a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912,
(obsolete) Difficult; distressful.
Quotations
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.
18th c., Thomas Secker, Sermons on Several Subjects, 2nd edition, 1771, Volume III, Sermon XI, p. 253
(obsolete) Parsimonious; stingy; mean.
Quotations
[…] I do not ask you much, / I beg cold comfort; and you are so strait / And so ingrateful, you deny me that.
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene vii]
Obsolete spelling of straight.
Quotations
A strait Line over a Vowel denotes the Omission of the Letter m or n following:quā - - quam ‖ nō - - non ‖ […] […] The strait Line over m in the Middle of a Word denotes the Omission of the Letter n following:om̄es - - omnes ‖ om̄ia - - omnia
1810, Record Commission, The Statutes of the Realm. Printed by Command of His Majesty King George the Third in pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons of Great Britain. From Original Records and Manuscripts., volume 1, page lxiii
noun
plural straits
A narrow pass, passage or street.
Quotations
For honour travels in a strait so narrow, / Where one but goes abreast:
c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene iii]
Quotations
The bold Sir Bedivere uplifted him, / Sir Bedivere, the last of all his knights, / And bore him to a chapel nigh the field, / A broken chancel with a broken cross, / That stood on a dark strait of barren land.
1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], page 4
(often in the plural) A difficult position.
Quotations
Plutarch is of opinion that this sleep of Ulysses was feigned; and that he made use of the pretence of natural infirmity to conceal the streights he was in at that time in his thoughts […]
1725, Homer, “(please specify the book or chapter of the Odyssey)”, in [William Broome, Elijah Fenton, and Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, page 19
verb
third-person singular simple present straits, present participle straiting, simple past and past participle straited
(obsolete, transitive) To confine; put to difficulties.
Quotations
After Bardus, the Celtes […] were in short tyme, and with small labour broughte vnder the subiection of the Giaunt Albion, the sonne of Neptune, who altering the state of things here in this yland, straited the name of Celtica and the Celtes within the boundes of Gallia […]
1577, Raphael Holinshed, Holinshed’s Chronicles, volume 1, London: The Historie of Englande, page 3
[…] If your lass / Interpretation should abuse and call this / Your lack of love or bounty, you were straited / For a reply […]
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene iv]
The King, Duke of York, Prince Rupert and Maurice are still at Oxford closely surrounded by the Parliaments Forces, and the other not well resolving what course to take, all their Horse being about Faringdon, in expectation of the Lord Ashley with his Foot to joyn in a Body, if they be not prevented by Colonel Fleetwood and Rainsborough, straiting and allarming Oxford very often […]
1658, William Sanderson, A Compleat History of the Life and Raigne of King Charles, London: Humphrey Moseley, et al, page 885
adverb
comparative straiter, superlative straitest
(obsolete) Strictly; rigorously.
Quotations
Lords, take your places; and, I pray you all, / Proceed no straiter ’gainst our uncle Gloucester / Than from true evidence of good esteem / He be approved in practise culpable.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene ii]