straiten

  • 1Straiten — Strait en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Straitened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Straitening}.] 1. To make strait; to make narrow; hence, to contract; to confine. [1913 Webster] Waters, when straitened, as at the falls of bridges, give a roaring noise. Bacon. [1913 …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2straiten — [strāt′ n] vt. 1. Now Rare a) to make strait or narrow b) to hem in closely c) to restrict or confine in scope, range, etc.; hamper 2. to bring into difficulties; cause to be in distress or want: usually in the phrase in straitened circumstances …

    English World dictionary

  • 3straiten — transitive verb (straitened; straitening) Date: circa 1552 1. a. to make strait or narrow b. to hem in ; confine 2. archaic to restrict in freedom or scope ; hamper 3. to subject to distress, privation, or deficiency …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 4straiten — /strayt n/, v.t. 1. to put into difficulties, esp. financial ones: His obligations had straitened him. 2. to restrict in range, extent, amount, pecuniary means, etc: Poverty straitens one s way of living. 3. Archaic. a. to make narrow. b. to… …

    Universalium

  • 5straiten — verb a) To squeeze something together to make it narrow, or to confine it in a smaller space The channel straitened the river through the town, made it flow faster, and caused more flooding upstream. b) To restrict, especially financially. Rising …

    Wiktionary

  • 6straiten — Synonyms and related words: arrest, bottle up, bound, box in, box up, bridle, cabin, casket, check, cloister, closet, coffin, condition, confine, constrain, constrict, contain, contract, control, cool, cool off, copyright, cramp, crib, curb,… …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 7straiten — (Roget s IV) v. 1. [Distress] Syn. perplex, corner, fluster; see confuse , embarrass 1 . 2. [To limit] Syn. contract, confine, constrain; see hinder , restrict 2 . • in straitened circumstances, Syn. short of money, financially embarrassed,… …

    English dictionary for students

  • 8straiten — straighten …

    American English homophones

  • 9straiten — strait·en || streɪtn v. put in a difficult situation; restrict, confine; make narrow (Archaic) …

    English contemporary dictionary

  • 10straiten — verb 1》 [as adjective straitened] restricted in range.     ↘restricted because of poverty: they lived in straitened circumstances. 2》 archaic make or become narrow …

    English new terms dictionary