Strait Meaning
/stɹeɪt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjNarrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
adjRighteous, strict.
Sentence Examples
At this point the sea narrows into a strait.
This boat sails through the Strait of Gibraltar.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ship carefully navigated through the narrow ____ between the two islands.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ship had to navigate carefully through the narrow ____ that connected the sea to the large bay.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Sweet oil was poured out on thy head
And ran down like cool rain between
The strait close locks it melted in."
— 1866, Algernon Swinburne, “Aholibah”, in Poems and Ballads, London: John Camden Hotten, page 311:
"Where shall we keep the holiday,
And duly greet the entering May?
Too strait and low our cottage doors,
And all unmeet our carpet floors; […]"
— 1867, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “May-Day”, in May-Day and Other Pieces, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, pages 14–15:
"[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, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
"[…] after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 26:5:
"Palamon. […] Stay a little,
Is not this peece too streight?
Arcite. No, no, tis well."
— 1613–1614, William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, “The Two Noble Kinsmen”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act III, scene vii:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ship carefully navigated through the narrow ____ between the two islands.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ship had to navigate carefully through the narrow ____ that connected the sea to the large bay.