- straighten
- verb (straightened; straightening) Date: 1542 transitive verb to make straight — usually used with up or out intransitive verb to become straight — usually used with up or out • straightener noun
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
straighten up — {v.} To put in order; make neat. * /Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ * /Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY … Dictionary of American idioms
straighten up — {v.} To put in order; make neat. * /Vic had to straighten up his room before he could go swimming./ * /Mrs. Johnson straightened up the house before company came./ Compare: PICK UP(6b), SQUARE AWAY … Dictionary of American idioms
Straighten — Straight en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Straighted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Straighting}.] 1. To make straight; to reduce from a crooked to a straight form. [1913 Webster] 2. To make right or correct; to reduce to order; as, to straighten one s affairs; to… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
straighten — [strāt′ n] vt., vi. to make or become straight straighten out 1. to make or become less confused, easier to deal with, etc. ☆ 2. to make or become more correct or moral in behavior; reform straighten up to put in good order; make tidy [straighten … English World dictionary
straighten up — (something) to make things neat. Be sure to straighten up your room before you leave. It was only four thirty, and she still had time to straighten things up before the guests arrived … New idioms dictionary
Straighten — Straight en, v. t. A variant of {Straiten}. [Obs. or R.] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
straighten — index fix (repair), organize (arrange), rectify Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
straighten — (v.) 1540s, from STRAIGHT (Cf. straight) + EN (Cf. en) (1). Related: Straightened; straightening … Etymology dictionary
straighten — [v] put in neat or aligned order align, arrange, compose, correct, even, level, make plumb, make straight, neaten, order, put in order, put perpendicular, put straight, put to rights, put upright, put vertical, rectify, set to rights, smarten up* … New thesaurus
straighten — ► VERB 1) make or become straight. 2) stand or sit erect after bending … English terms dictionary
straighten — straight|en [ˈstreıtn] v 1.) [I and T] also straighten out to become straight, or to make something straight ▪ Can you straighten your leg? 2.) [i]also straighten up to make your back straight, or to stand up straight after bending down 3.) [T] … Dictionary of contemporary English