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Webster 1913 Edition

Straight

Straight

,
Adj.
A variant of
Strait
,
Adj.
[Obs. or R.]
Egypt is a long country, but it is
straight
, that is to say, narrow.
Sir J. Mandeville.

Straight

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Straighter
;
sup
erl.
Straightest
.]
[OE.
strei[GREEK]t
, properly p. p. of
strecchen
to stretch, AS.
streht
, p. p. of
streccan
to stretch, to extend. See
Stretch
.]
1.
Right, in a mathematical sense; passing from one point to another by the nearest course; direct; not deviating or crooked;
as, a
straight
line or course; a
straight
piece of timber
.
And the crooked shall be made
straight
.
Isa. xl. 4.
There are many several sorts of crooked lines, but there is only one which is
straight
.
Dryden.
2.
(Bot.)
Approximately straight; not much curved;
as,
straight
ribs are such as pass from the base of a leaf to the apex, with a small curve
.
3.
(Card Playing)
Composed of cards which constitute a regular sequence, as the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten-spot;
as, a
straight
hand; a
straight
flush.
4.
Conforming to justice and rectitude; not deviating from truth or fairness; upright;
as,
straight
dealing
.
5.
Unmixed; undiluted;
as, to take liquor
straight
.
[Slang]
6.
Making no exceptions or deviations in one’s support of the organization and candidates of a political party;
as, a
straight
Republican; a
straight
Democrat
; also, containing the names of all the regularly nominated candidates of a party and no others;
as, a
straight
ballot
.
[Political Cant, U.S.]
Straight arch
(Arch.)
,
a form of arch in which the intrados is straight, but with its joints drawn radially, as in a common arch.
–
A straight face
,
one giving no evidence of merriment or other emotion.
–
A straight line
.
“That which lies evenly between its extreme points.”
Euclid.
“The shortest line between two points.”
Chauvenet.
“A line which has the same direction through its whole length.”
Newcomb.
–
Straight-way valve
,
a valve which, when opened widely, affords a straight passageway, as for water.

Straight

,
adv.
In a straight manner; directly; rightly; forthwith; immediately;
as, the arrow went
straight
to the mark
.
“Floating straight.”
Shak.
I know thy generous temper well;
Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it,
It
straight
takes fire, and mounts into a blaze.
Addison.
Everything was going on
straight
.
W. Black.

Straight

,
Noun.
(Poker)
A hand of five cards in consecutive order as to value; a sequence. When they are of one suit, it is calles straight flush.

Straight

,
Verb.
T.
To straighten.
[R.]
A Smith.

Webster 1828 Edition

Straight

STRAIGHT

,
Adj.
[L., formed from the root of reach, stretch, right. It is customary to write straight, for direct or right, and strait, for narrow, but this is a practice wholly arbitrary, both being the same word. Strait we use in the sense in which it is used in the south of Europe. Both sense proceed from stretching, straining.]
1.
Right, in a mathematical sense; direct; passing from one point to another by the nearest course; not deviating or crooked; as a straight line; a straight course; a straight piece of timber.
2.
Narrow; close; tight; as a straight garment. [See strait, as it is generally written.]
3.
Upright; according with justice and rectitude; not deviating from truth or fairness.

STRAIGHT

,
adv.
Immediately; directly; in the shortest time.
I know thy generous temper well; fling but the appearance of dishonor on it, it straight takes fire, and mounts into a blaze.

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