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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.

The act or making narrow; a straitening or contacting. Wiseman.

To press together; to crowd; to straiten; to confine closely. [Obs.] Bacon.

Not straitened as to money matters; as, the market is easy; -- opposed to tight. Honors are easy (Card Playing), said when each side has an equal number of honors, in which case they are not counted as points.

Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.

Figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for money. Want of room . . . pinching a whole nation. Sir W. Raleigh.

To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or hunger.

To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries. Where man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted. Bacon. I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. Dryden.

To make too small or short; to limit or straiten; to put on short allowance; to scant; to contract; to shorten; as, to scrimp the pattern of a coat.

A variant of Straiten. [Obs. or R.]

See Straiten. [Obs.]

To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. Just where I please, with tightened rein I'll urge thee round the dusty plain. Fawkes. Tightening pulley (Mach.), a pulley which rests, or is forced, against a driving belt to tighten it.