tight

tight
I. adjective Etymology: Middle English tiht, thyht dense, solid, watertight, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse thēttr tight; akin to Middle High German dīhte thick, Sanskrit tanakti it causes to coagulate Date: 14th century 1. a. having elements close together <
a tight formation
>
<
a tight line of type
>
b. so close in structure as to prevent passage or escape (as of liquid, gas, or light) <
a tight ship
>
<
a tight seal
>
— compare lightproof, watertight c. fitting very close to the body <
tight jeans
>
; also too snug <
tight shoes
>
d. (1) closely packed ; very full <
a tight bale of hay
>
(2) barely allowing time for completion <
a tight schedule
>
<
tight deadlines
>
e. allowing little or no room for free motion or movement <
a tight connection
>
<
a tight crawl space
>
; also having a small radius <
a tight turn
>
2. a. strongly fixed or held ; secure <
a tight jar lid
>
<
a tight grip on the ladder
>
b. (1) not slack or loose ; taut <
kept the reins tight
>
<
a tight knot
>
<
a tight drumhead
>
; also marked by firmness and muscle tone <
a tight stomach
>
(2) marked by unusual tension (as in the face or body) <
lips tight with anger
>
<
a family tight with fear
>
3. chiefly dialect capable, competent 4. a. difficult to cope with <
in a tight spot financially
>
b. relatively difficult to obtain <
money is tight just now
>
; also characterized by such difficulty <
a tight job market
>
c. not liberal in giving ; stingy <
tight with a penny
>
5. characterized by little difference in the relative positions of contestants with respect to final outcome ; close <
a tight race for mayor
>
6. somewhat drunk 7. a. characterized by firmness or strictness in control or application or in attention to details <
tight zoning codes
>
<
tight security
>
<
ran a tight newsroom
>
<
keeps a tight hand on her investments
>
b. marked by control or discipline in expression or style ; having little or no extraneous matter <
tight writing
>
c. characterized by a polished style and precise arrangements in music performance 8. having a close personal or working relationship ; intimate <
in tight with the boss
>
9. being such that the subject fills the frame <
filming a tight close-up
>
tightly adverbtightness noun II. adverb Date: 1680 1. fast, tightly, firmly <
the door was shut tight
>
2. in a sound manner ; soundly <
sleep tight
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • tight — [tīt] adj. [ME, altered (prob. infl. by toght: see TAUT) < thight < OE thight, strong, akin to ON thēttr, Ger dicht, tight, thick < IE base * tenk , to thicken, congeal > MIr tēcht, coagulated] 1. Obs. dense 2. so close or compact in… …   English World dictionary

  • Tight — Tight, a. [Compar. {Tighter} (t[imac]t [ e]r); superl. {Tightest}.] [OE. tight, thiht; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. [thorn][=e]ttr, Dan. t[ae]t, Sw. t[ a]t: akin to D. & G. dicht thick, tight, and perhaps to E. thee to thrive, or to thick …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tight — 1 Tight, taut, tense are comparable chiefly in their basic senses in which they mean drawn or stretched to the point where there is no looseness or slackness. Tight implies a drawing around or about something in a way that constricts or binds it… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • tight — tight; tight·en; tight·en·er; tight·ish; tight·ly; tight·ness; un·tight; air·tight·ness; gas·tight·ness; oil·tight·ness; up·tight·ness; wa·ter·tight·ness; weath·er·tight·ness; …   English syllables

  • tight — tight, tightly Tight is used as an adverb in combination with a number of verbs, primarily in commands or instructions: hold tight, sit tight, sleep tight. It also occurs as the first element in a few compound adjectives, e.g. tight fisted, tight …   Modern English usage

  • tight — (adj.) mid 15c., dense, close, compact, from M.E. thight, from O.N. þettr watertight, close in texture, solid, from P.Gmc. *thenkhtuz (Cf. second element in O.E. meteþiht stout from eating; M.H.G. dihte dense, thick, Ger. dicht dense, tight,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • tight — ► ADJECTIVE 1) fixed, closed, or fastened firmly. 2) (of clothes) close fitting. 3) well sealed against something such as water or air. 4) (of a rope, fabric, or surface) stretched so as to leave no slack. 5) (of an area or space) allowing little …   English terms dictionary

  • Tight — Tight …   Википедия

  • Tight A$ — Song by John Lennon from the album Mind Games Released 16 November 1973 Recorded July–August 1973 Genre Rock …   Wikipedia

  • tight — [adj1] close, snug bound, clasped, closefitting, compact, constricted, contracted, cramped, crowded, dense, drawn, enduring, established, fast, firm, fixed, hidebound, inflexible, invulnerable, narrow, quick, rigid, secure, set, skintight, solid …   New thesaurus

  • tight´en|er — tight|en «TY tuhn», transitive verb. to make tight or tighter: »He tightened his belt. –v.i. to become tight or tighter: »The rope tightened as I pulled on it. –tight´en|er, noun …   Useful english dictionary

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