strait
/streɪt/
adjective
- Narrow, tight, or restricted (archaic or formal; mostly used in fixed phrases).
- The path was so strait that only one person could pass at a time.
- The strait gate led into a small courtyard.
- He was kept in strait confinement during the investigation.
noun
- A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
- The ship sailed through the strait to reach the open ocean.
- The strait is only a few miles wide at its narrowest point.
- Many migratory whales pass through this strait every year.
- A difficult or challenging situation (usually used in plural: straits).
- The explorers were in terrible straits, running low on food and water.
- The company was in dire financial straits after the market crash.
- She found herself in desperate straits when she lost her job and her home.