Collins English-English Dictionary

strait [streɪt]

1. 1. n [often plural] a narrow channel of the sea linking two larger areas of sea

2. 2. n (capital as part of a name)

   the Strait of Gibraltar

3. 3. n [often plural] a position of acute difficulty (often in the phrase in dire or desperate straits)

4. 4. n [archaic] a narrow place or passage

5. 5. adj [archaic] (of spaces, etc) affording little room

6. 6. adj (of circumstances, etc) limiting or difficult

7. 7. adj severe, strict, or scrupulous

8. 8. adj [Etymology] C13: from Old French estreit narrow, from Latin strictus constricted, from stringere to bind tightly