Main Entry: strait·en

Pronunciation: \ˈstrā-t^ən\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): strait·ened; strait·en·ing \ˈstrāt-niŋ, ˈstrā-t^ən-iŋ\

Date: circa 1552

1 a : to make strait or narrow b : to hem in : confine
2 archaic : to restrict in freedom or scope : hamper
3 : to subject to distress, privation, or deficiency <in straitened circumstances>