straight

straight / strāt/ • adj. 1. extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend: a long, straight road. ∎  Geom. (of a line) lying on the shortest path between any two of its points. ∎  (of an aim, blow, or course) going direct to the intended target: a straight punch to the face. ∎  (of hair) not curly or wavy. ∎  (of a garment) not flared or fitted closely to the body: a straight skirt. ∎  (of an arch) flat-topped. 2. properly positioned so as to be level, upright, or symmetrical: he made sure his tie was straight. ∎  in proper order or condition: it'll take a long time to get the place straight. 3. not evasive; honest: a straight answer thank you for being straight with me. ∎  simple; straightforward: a straight choice between nuclear power and penury. ∎  (of a look) bold and steady: he gave her a straight, no-nonsense look. ∎  (of thinking) clear, logical, and unemotional. ∎  not addicted to drugs. 4. in continuous succession: he scored his fourth straight win. ∎  supporting all the principles and candidates of one political party: he generally voted a straight ticket. 5. (of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat: straight brandy. 6. (esp. of drama) serious as opposed to comic or musical; employing the conventional techniques of its art form: a straight play. ∎ inf. (of a person) conventional or respectable: she looked pretty straight in her school clothes. ∎ inf. heterosexual. • adv. 1. in a straight line; directly: he was gazing straight at her keep straight on. ∎  with no delay or diversion; directly or immediately: after dinner we went straight back to our hotel I fell into bed and went straight to sleep. ∎ archaic at once; immediately: I'll fetch up the bath to you straight. 2. in or into a level, even, or upright position: he pulled his clothes straight sit up straight! 3. correctly; clearly: I'm so tired I can hardly think straight. ∎  honestly and directly; in a straightforward manner: I told her straight—the kid's right. 4. without a break; continuously: he remembered working sixteen hours straight. • n. 1. a part of something that is not curved or bent, esp. the concluding stretch of a racetrack: he pulled away in the straight to win by half a second. ∎ archaic a form or position that is not curved or bent: the rod flew back to the straight. 2. Poker a continuous sequence of five cards. 3. inf. a conventional person. ∎  a heterosexual. PHRASES: get something straight make a situation clear, esp. by reaching an understanding. go straight live an honest life after being a criminal. a straight face a blank or serious facial expression, esp. when trying not to laugh: my father kept a straight face when he joked. the straight and narrow the honest and morally acceptable way of living: he's making a real effort to get back on the straight and narrow. straight out (or off) inf. without hesitation or deliberation: If you’re not going to help me, just say so straight out. straight up inf. 1. unmixed; unadulterated: a dry Martini served straight up. 2. Brit. truthfully; honestly: come on, Bert, I won't hurt you—straight up. DERIVATIVES: straight·ish adj. straight·ly adv. straight·ness n.

straight not curved or bent XIV; not oblique; honest XVI (obs. in XVII, revived in XIX); in proper order XIX; adv. XIV (s. away, s. off XVII). ME. streʒt, straʒt (as pp. adj. extended at full length), pp. of strecche STRETCH.
Hence straight vb. †(Sc.) stretch XIV; make straight XVI; superseded by straighten (-EN5) XVII. straightforward acting in a direct manner. XIX. f. phr. s. forward in a direct path onwards. straightway †by a direct course XV; immediately XVI.

straight the straight and narrow the honest and morally acceptable way of living; a misunderstanding of Matthew 7:14, ‘Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way.’
straight from the horse's mouth expression for the original, authentic source of information; recorded from the 1920s, and probably referring to the ideal source for a racing tip.
straight from the shoulder (of words) frank and direct (literally, of a blow, swift and well-delivered.

straight •abate, ablate, aerate, ait, await, backdate, bait, bate, berate, castrate, collate, conflate, crate, create, cremate, date, deflate, dictate, dilate, distraite, donate, downstate, eight, elate, equate, estate, fate, fellate, fête, fixate, freight, frustrate, gait, gate, gestate, gradate, grate, great, gyrate, hate, hydrate, inflate, innate, interrelate, interstate, irate, Kate, Kuwait, lactate, late, locate, lustrate, mandate, mate, migrate, misdate, misstate, mistranslate, mutate, narrate, negate, notate, orate, ornate, Pate, placate, plate, prate, prorate, prostrate, pulsate, pupate, quadrate, rate, rotate, sate, sedate, serrate, short weight, skate, slate, spate, spectate, spruit, stagnate, state, straight, strait, Tate, tête-à-tête, Thwaite, translate, translocate, transmigrate, truncate, underrate, understate, underweight, update, uprate, upstate, up-to-date, vacate, vibrate, wait, weight