streight

English

Noun

streight (plural streights)

1. Obsolete spelling of strait.

   While we were in this situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. - "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano", by Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa

   • 1669, John Nievhoff, translated by John Ogilby, An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎^[1], London: John Macock, →OCLC, pages 3–4:

     Under our new World may alſo be compriſed thoſe vaſt Southern Coaſts and Streights of Magelan, firſt lighted on by Ferdinandus Magelanus in the year 1520, in his Circumnavigation of the Univerſe ; which forty five years after Sir Francis Drake, and next Sir Thomas Bendiſh, Engliſhmen, made a furhter inſpection into ; and in the Year 1600 Oliver van Noord a Hollander paſt, but of later years a Spaniard, Fedinand de Quier, out-ſhot them all by a more ample Diſcovery then all the former.

   • 1764, The History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands‎^[2], London, →OCLC, page ii:

     IT is evident, from the above deſcription, that thoſe iſlands lay to the ſouth-weft of Hercules's Pillars, or Streights of Gibraltar; for he ſays, " the rough northerly and eaſterly winds which blow " from the coaſts of Europe and Africa towards thoſe iſlands ; " conſequently they could not be any of the Azores or Weſtern Iſlands, the ſouthermoſt of which does not lie farther ſouth than the Streights of Gibraltar.

   • 1923 [1792 April 29], Menzies' Journal of Vancouver's Voyage, April to October, 1792‎^[3], →OCLC, page 15:

     As soon as the Boat was hoisted in we made sail & pursued our course along shore till about noon when we enterd the famous Streights of Juan de Fuca.

Adjective

streight (comparative more streight, superlative most streight)

1. Obsolete spelling of straight.
   • 1646, Sir Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Folio Society, published 2007, page 427:

     Notwithstanding, to speak strictly in their natural figure they are streight, nor have their spines convexed, or more considerably embowed, than Sharks, Porpoises, Whales, and other Cetaceous animals [...].

Anagrams

• tighters, rightest, set right

Middle English

Alternative forms

• streght, streȝt, streiȝt, streiht

Etymology

Past participle of strecchen. Corresponds to Old English ġestreaht, ġestreht, past participle of streċċan, streccan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /strɛi̯xt/

Adjective

streight

1. straight (not curved)
2. direct

Related terms

• streighten

Descendants

• English: straight
• Scots: straucht, straicht

References

• “streight, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Adverb

streight

1. straight (directly)

Descendants

• English: straight, streight (obsolete)
  • → Japanese: ストレート
• Scots: straucht, straicht