† enstraitv.
Obsolete.
transitive. = straiten v.
a. To make narrow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > breadth or width > lack of breadth or narrowness > make narrow [verb (transitive)]
narrowa1400
strait1421
straiten1552
enstrait1581
angustate1615
nip1850
1581 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. (1880) 413 To enstreighte or make narrowe the way.
b. To bring into straits or difficulties.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > of difficulty: beset (a person) [verb (transitive)] > put (a person) in difficulty > reduce to straits
enstraita1500
plungea1513
to put or drive to a (or the) shift or shifts1553
to put (one) to (upon) his trump or trumps1559
to drive (a person) near1594
to put, drive, reduce, etc. to the last shiftsa1604
to be hard (also sorely, etc.) put to ita1616
press1672
pinch1693
push1761
a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 34 Coueitouse men shul be enstreited wiþ most wrecchid nede.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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v.a1500