from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Straight \Straight\, a. [Compar. {Straighter}; superl.
{Straightest}.] [OE. strei?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.
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And the crooked shall be made straight. --Isa. xl.
4.
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There are many several sorts of crooked lines, but
there is only one which is straight. --Dryden.
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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.
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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.
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4. Conforming to justice and rectitude; not deviating from
truth or fairness; upright; as, straight dealing.
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5. Unmixed; undiluted; as, to take liquor straight. [Slang]
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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.]
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{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.
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