strait

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

• adj. Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
• adj. Righteous, strict.
• n. A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
• n. A difficult position (often used in plural)
• v. To put to difficulties.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

• Narrow; having little breadth or width.
• Confined; restricted; limited in space or accommodation; close.
• Of time, short; scant.
• Tight.
• Close.
• Strict; careful.
• Close-fisted; stingy; avaricious.
• Strict; rigorous; exacting.
• Sore; great; difficult; distressing.
• Hard-pressed; straitened; hampered.
• n. A narrow pass or passage.
• 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.
• n. A strip of land between two bodies of water; an isthmus.
• n. A narrow alley in London.
• n. A tight or narrow place; difficulty; distress; need; case of necessity: often in the plural.
• n. plural Cloth of single width, as opposed to broad cloth: a term in use in the sixteenth century and later.
• To make strait or narrow; narrow; straiten; contract.
• To stretch; draw tight; tighten.
• To press hard; put to difficulties; distress; puzzle; perplex.
• Narrowly; tightly; closely; strictly; rigorously; strenuously; hard.
• An old spelling of straight.
• n. plural See cod-liver oil.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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