strait
Other forms: straits; straitly; straitest
A strait is a narrow sea channel or a difficult situation — remember that both are difficult to navigate. If you're stranded on a strait off the Black Sea, you might also say that you're in dire straits.
The noun strait comes from the Latin word strictus, meaning "to bind or draw tight." Whether you're describing a narrow passage of water or a tricky situation, a strait will make you feel like you're in tight quarters. You might be familiar with the term "dire straits," which refers an urgent or drastic situation. If all the dorms are overbooked for the fall semester and the off-campus apartments are all rented, you might find yourself in dire straits.
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a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of watersynonyms: soundexamples:Canakkale Bogazithe strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara that separates European Turkey from Asian TurkeyEast Rivera tidal strait separating Manhattan and the Bronx from Queens and BrooklynBering Straita strait connecting the Bering Sea to the Arctic OceanBosporusa strait connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea; separates the European and Asian parts of Turkey; an important shipping routeCook Straita narrow strait separating the North Island and South Island in New ZealandGolden Gatea strait in western California that connects the San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean; discovered in 1579 by Sir Francis DrakeKattegatta strait of the North Sea between Jutland and Sweden; connects with the North Sea through the SkagerrakKorean Straita strait between Korea and Japan; connects the East China Sea and the Sea of JapanMenai Straita strait in northern Wales between Anglesey Island and the mainlandNorth Channela strait between Northern Ireland and Scotland that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish SeaSkagerraka broad strait of the North Sea between Jutland and NorwaySolenta strait of the English Channel between the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of WightStrait of Georgiathe strait separating Vancouver Island from the Canadian mainlandStrait of Gibraltarthe strait between Spain and AfricaStrait of Hormuza strategically important strait linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of OmanStrait of Magellanthe strait separating South America from Tierra del Fuego and other islands to the south of the continent; discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520; an important route around South America before the Panama Canal was builtStrait of Messinathe strait separating Sicily from the tip of ItalyStrait of Calaisthe strait between the English Channel and the North Sea; shortest distance between England and the European continentTorres Straita strait between northeastern Australia and southern New Guinea that connects the Coral Sea with the Arafura Seatypes:narrowa narrow strait connecting two bodies of watertype of:channela deep and relatively narrow body of water (as in a river or a harbor or a strait linking two larger bodies) that allows the best passage for vessels
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narrow“strait is the gate”synonyms:narrownot wide
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a bad or difficult situation or state of affairstypes:type of:situationa complex or critical or unusual difficulty
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Vocabulary lists containing strait
Physical geography will be a breeze once you master this list of terms related to Earth's physical features. You'll review climate and weather, landforms and bodies of water, biomes and ecosystems, and the geological structure of the Earth — and that's just the tip of the iceberg!
Physical geography will be a breeze once you master this list of terms related to Earth's physical features. You'll review climate and weather, landforms and bodies of water, biomes and ecosystems, and the geological structure of the Earth — and that's just the tip of the iceberg!
Physical geography will be a breeze once you master this list of terms related to Earth's physical features. You'll review climate and weather, landforms and bodies of water, biomes and ecosystems, and the geological structure of the Earth — and that's just the tip of the iceberg!