strait

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water. Often used in the plural with a singular verb.
2. n. A position of difficulty, perplexity, distress, or need. Often used in the plural: in desperate straits.
3. adj. Difficult; stressful.
4. adj. Having or marked by limited funds or resources.
5. adj. Archaic Narrow.
6. adj. Archaic Affording little space or room; confined.
7. adj. Archaic Fitting tightly; constricted.
8. adj. Archaic Strict, rigid, or righteous.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Narrow; having little breadth or width.
2. Confined; restricted; limited in space or accommodation; close.
3. Of time, short; scant.
4. Tight.
5. Close. Near; intimate; familiar.
6. Strict; careful.
7. Close-fisted; stingy; avaricious.
8. Strict; rigorous; exacting.
9. Sore; great; difficult; distressing.
10. Hard-pressed; straitened; hampered.
11. n. A narrow pass or passage.
12. n. Specifically, a narrow passage of water connecting two bodies of water: often used in the plural: as, the Strait or Straits of Gibraltar; the Straits of Magellan; the Straits of Dover. Abbreviated St.
13. n. A strip of land between two bodies of water; an isthmus.
14. n. A narrow alley in London.
15. n. A tight or narrow place; difficulty; distress; need; case of necessity: often in the plural.
16. n. plural Cloth of single width, as opposed to broad cloth: a term in use in the sixteenth century and later.
17. To make strait or narrow; narrow; straiten; contract.
18. To stretch; draw tight; tighten.
19. To press hard; put to difficulties; distress; puzzle; perplex.
20. Narrowly; tightly; closely; strictly; rigorously; strenuously; hard.
21. An old spelling of straight.
22. n. plural See cod-liver oil.

Wiktionary

1. adj. narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
2. adj. righteous, strict
3. n. A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
4. n. A difficult position (often used in plural)

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. A variant of straight.
2. adj. Narrow; not broad.
3. adj. Tight; close; closely fitting.
4. adj. Close; intimate; near; familiar.
5. adj. Strict; scrupulous; rigorous.
6. adj. Difficult; distressful; straited.
7. adj. Parsimonious; niggargly; mean.
8. adv. Strictly; rigorously.
9. n. A narrow pass or passage.
10. n. A (comparatively) narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water; -- often in the plural
11. n. A neck of land; an isthmus.
12. n. Fig.: A condition of narrowness or restriction; doubt; distress; difficulty; poverty; perplexity; -- sometimes in the plural.
13. v. To put to difficulties.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. narrow.
2. n. a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water
3. n. a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs