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strait

/stɹeɪt/ noun

In Latin: fretum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about strait at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water.
  2. A bad or difficult situation or state of affairs.

adjective

  1. Narrow.
    strait is the gate

Origin

From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)