The Collaborative International Dictionary
Straiten \Strait"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Straitened; p. pr. & vb. n. Straitening.]
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To make strait; to make narrow; hence, to contract; to confine.
Waters, when straitened, as at the falls of bridges, give a roaring noise.
--Bacon.In narrow circuit, straitened by a foe.
--Milton. -
To make tense, or tight; to tighten.
They straiten at each end the cord.
--Pope. To restrict; to distress or embarrass in respect of means or conditions of life; -- used chiefly in the past participle; -- as, a man straitened in his circumstances.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of straiten English)
Usage examples of "straitening".
And if heavenly grace and true charity shall enter into thee, there shall be no envy, nor straitening of the heart, nor shall any self-love take possession of thee.
When my mother is out of breath and rests herself in an elbow-chair, I watch her winding her bright curls round her fingers, and straitening her waist, and nobody knows better than I do that she likes to look so well, and is proud of being so pretty.