taɪt adj., n., & adv. --adj. 1 closely
held,
drawn, fastened,
fitting, etc. (a tight hold; a tight skirt). 2 closely
and firmly put
together (a tight joint). 3 (of
clothes etc.)
too closely fitting (my shoes are
rather tight). 4
impermeable,
impervious,
esp. (in comb.) to a specified
thing (watertight). 5 tense; stretched so as to leave no slack (a tight bowstring). 6 colloq.
drunk. 7 colloq. (of a person) mean,
stingy. 8 a (of
money or materials)
not easily obtainable. b (of a money market) in
which money is tight. 9 a (of precautions, a
programme, etc.)
stringent, demanding. b presenting difficulties (a tight situation). 10 produced by or requiring
great exertion or
pressure (a tight squeeze). 11 (of
control etc.)
strictly imposed. --adv. tightly (hold tight!). øtight
corner (or
place or spot) a
difficult situation. tight-fisted stingy. tight-fitting (of a garment) fitting (often too) close to
the body. tight-lipped
with or as with the lips compressed to
restrain emotion or
speech. øøtightly adv. tightness n. [prob. alt. of thight f. ON th÷ttr
watertight, of close texture]
