Straitness

[f. STRAIT a. + -NESS.]

  1.  The quality of being strait, in various senses. a. Tightness; insufficiency or scantiness of breadth, area, or spatial extent, narrowness.

1382.  Wyclif, 2 Macc. xii. 2. It was vnable to be ouercummen, and hard in goynge to, for streytnesse of places.

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., I. § 21. 33. For the streitness of thin astrelabie.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 50. No maryner durst take on hond To cast an anker, for straytnes of passage.

c. 1520.  Barclay, trans. Sallust’s Jugurth, liv. 76 b. Thus cowde nat the soudyours … contynue togyder at their worke … for strayetnes and dyfficultie of the place.

c. 1530.  Judic. Urines, II. vii. 27. Another may be by strettenes of y^e waies of y^e vryne fro y^e raines to y^e bladder.

1691.  T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., p. lxxxii. The great straitnes of the River.

1795.  Leoni, Palladio’s Archit. (1742), I. 13. In leaving too little space between … Columns, the streightness of the vacancy will make them appear too thick.

1849–50.  Alison, Hist. Europe, lxxxviii. § 51. XIII. 155. The streets in the old part of the town are narrow,… but their straitness only renders them the more imposing.

1901.  Buchan, Watcher by Threshold, 269. He felt the torture of his collar and the straitness of his clothes.

  fig.  1622.  Bacon, Adv. Holy War, Misc. Tracts (1629), 132. lt is a great Errour, and a Narrownesse, or Straightnesse of Minde, if any Man thinke, that Nations [etc.].

1648.  Eikon Bas., xi. 95. If the straitnesse of my Conscience will not give me leave to swallow down such Camels.

1662.  Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., III. xxv. § 2. 215. Because of the penury and streightness of these appellations.

1868.  J. J. S. Perowne, trans. Ps. cxxx. 7 Notes, II. 341. Such is the straitness of our heart,… that it [redemption] far exceeds [printed excedes] all our capacity.

  † b.  Tightness of the chest; difficulty or ‘shortness’ (of breathing). Obs.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiv. (Bodl. MS.). In alle þese is … streitenes of breeþ.

c. 1530.  Judic. Urines, III. iv. 49 b. If that mater … come to the throte goll, it causeth straethnys and horsenes & grete dysese. Ibid. It causeth cough & streythnes of breth.

1576.  Baker, Gesner’s Jewell of Health, 72. The water … helpeth the straitnesse of the breast.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, III. lxxi. 415. The disease called Asthma, whiche is a straightnesse in drawing of breath.

1580.  T. Newton, Approved Medicines, 32 b. The fume of the leaues … healpeth the coughe, & straightnes of winde.

1637.  Wotton, Lett. to Sir E. Bacon, Reliq. (1672), 467. Since the late cold weather, there is complicated with it a more Asthmatical straitness of respiration then heretofore.

1683.  Salmon, Doron Med., II. 377. Heart-burning, Sowr Belchings, straightness of Breathing.

1710.  Fuller, Pharmacop., 272. [The Lohoch] is of excellent service against … straitness of Breath.

1725.  Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v. Nightingale, There is another Disease incident to these Birds, which is called the Streightness or Strangling in the Breast.

  c.  Strictness, rigor, severity.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvii. (Machor), 406. In honest conuersacione & stratnes of relygione.

c. 1460.  Play Sacram., 737. I shew yow the streytnesse of my greuance.

1551.  T. Wilson, Logic, I. G iij b. Christ … byndeth vs to a more straightnesse, that not only we should do none euill, but that also we shoulde consent to none euyll.

1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., III. ii. 269. If his owne life, Answere the straitnesse of his proceeding, It shall become him well.

1772.  Fletcher, Appeal, Wks. 1795, I. 183. The straitness of the heavenly rule will soon shew thee how very far gone thy … nature is from original righteousness.

a. 1842.  Arnold, Hist. Rome, xliv. (1843), III. 249. The straitness of the blockade could no longer be endured.

  † d.  Parsimony, stinginess. Obs.

c. 1460.  Metham, Wks. (1916), 94. Yff this cornere be iuste off bothe lynys metyng to-gydyr scharp … yt sygnyfyith couetyse and streytnes in kepyng of money.

1461.  Paston Lett., II. 38. Ther shal no thyng hurte hym but youre streytnesse of mony to hym.

1653.  Whitelocke, Swed. Amb. (1772), I. 47. This straightnes of the councell raysed many serious thoughts in Whitelocke.

  † e.  Scantiness, limited amount. Obs.

c. 1698.  Locke, Cond. Underst., § 3, Wks. 1714, III. 391. The Straitness of the Conveniences of Life amongst them.

1725.  N. Bailey, Fam. Colloq. Erasm. (1733), 120. You see, not the Affluence, but the Straitness of my Fortune.

1772.  [Shrubsole & Denne], Hist. Rochester, 105. By the straitness of its income … is this diocese unluckily distinguished from almost every other see in the kingdom.

  † f.  Straitness of time: = ‘straits of time,’ STRAIT sb. 2 c. Obs. (Very common in the 16–17th c.)

1545.  Ascham, Toxoph., I. (Arb.), 48. These two thinges, straytenesse of tyme, and euery man his trade of liuing, are the causes that so fewe men shotes.

1570.  Dee, Math. Pref., A iij b. Though I haue ben pinched with straightnes of tyme.

1621.  Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 5. The colleccions are made soe well as the streightnes of the tyme woulde permitte.

1657.  in Burton’s Diary (1828), II. 229. In regard of the straitness of time, you have always let loose that rule by a proviso.

  g.  Straitened condition (of circumstances). rare.

1740.  Ld. Harrington, Lett., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 275. The extreme Streightness of my Family Circumstances.

1829.  Everett, Orat. (1850), II. 13. He was never employed in [public affairs],… the straitness of his circumstances keeping him close to his trade.

  † 2.  concr. A strait place. Obs.

1625.  Purchas, Pilgrims, II. 1124. Where … is the narrowest and streightest passage of the Streight. This streightnesse [Bab-el-Mandeb], of the neighbouring people … is called Albabo.

  † 3.  Want of room. Obs.

1586.  in J. Morris, Troubles Cath. Forefathers (1875), 76. And as many [are] pestered into every chamber as it will receive, by reason of which throng and straitness oftentimes infectious sicknesses do reign amongst vs.

1611.  Bible, Job xxxvi. 16. Euen so would he haue remooued thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitnesse.

1633.  T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., II. x. 192. The rest of the Armie … lodged there … although with great straightnesse, the place contayning not aboue two hundred houses.

1775.  Ann. Reg., 137*. Having been before much incommoded by the streightness in which they were confined in Boston.

  4.  Hardship, distress; privation, straitened circumstances. (Cf. 1 g.) arch.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter xvii. 22. When we suffire fleysly straytnes, he ledis vs in gastly breed.

1436.  Rolls of Parlt., IV. 498/2. They have suffred right grete streitenesse, as well in their Persones as in their Godes.

1535.  Coverdale, Job xxxvi. 15. The poore delyuereth he out of his straytnesse, and comforteth soch as be in necessite and trouble.

1737.  Whiston, Josephus, Wars, VI. ix. § 3. An army which … occasioned so great a straitness among them that there came … a famine.

1742.  T. Barnard, Char. Lady E. Hastings, 41. Add … free and frequent Remission of Debts, in Cases of Straitness or Insolvency.

1845.  J. H. Newman, Development, 302. The need and straitness of the Church had been great.

1879.  Christina Rossetti, Seek & Find, 211. In these two passages [of the Bible] summer wears an aspect of … hope…; winter, one which forebodes aggravated affliction, straitness, trial.

  plural.  a. 1676.  Hale, Hist. Common Law, xi. (1713), 212. The Laws of the Twelve Tables … had many other Streightnesses and Hardships which were successively remedied.

1868.  Browning, Ring & Bk., IV. 643. They needs must … publish all abroad The straitnesses of Guido’s household life.