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Dictionary


straight



Pronunciation: (strāt), [key]
—adj. -er, -est,
—adv., n.

—adj.
1. without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.
2. exactly vertical or horizontal; in a perfectly vertical or horizontal plane: a straight table.
3. (of a line) generated by a point moving at a constant velocity with respect to another point.
4. evenly or uprightly formed or set: straight shoulders.
5. without circumlocution; frank; candid: straight speaking.
6. honest, honorable, or upright, as conduct, dealings, methods, or persons.
7. Informal.reliable, as a report or information.
8. right or correct, as reasoning, thinking, or a thinker.
9. in the proper order or condition: Things are straight now.
10. continuous or unbroken: in straight succession.
11. thoroughgoing or unreserved: a straight Republican.
12. supporting or cast for all candidates of one political party: to vote a straight ticket.
13. unmodified or unaltered: a straight comedy.
14. without change in the original melody or tempo: She does straight songs, with just the piano backing her.
15. Informal.
a. heterosexual.
b. traditional; conventional.
c. free from using narcotics.
d. not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
16. undiluted, as whiskey.
17. Theat.(of acting) straightforward; not striving for effect.
18. Journalism.written or to be written in a direct and objective manner, with no attempt at individual styling, comment, etc.: She gave me a straight story. Treat it as straight news.
19. Cards.containing cards in consecutive denominations, as a two, three, four, five, and six, in various suits.

—adv.
1. in a straight line: to walk straight.
2. in an even form or position: pictures hung straight.
3. in an erect posture: to stand up straight.
4. directly: to go straight to a place.
5. without circumlocution; frankly; candidly (often fol. by out).
6. honestly, honorably, or virtuously: to live straight.
7. without intricate involvement; not in a roundabout way; to the point.
8. in a steady course (often fol. by on): to keep straight on after the second traffic light.
9. into the proper form or condition; in order: to put a room straight.
10. in possession of the truth or of true ideas: I want to set you straight before you make mistakes.
11. sold without discount regardless of the quantity bought: Candy bars are twenty cents straight.
12. Journalism.directly and objectively: Write the circus story straight.
13. without personal embellishments, additions, etc.: Tell the story straight. Sing the song straight.
14. (of liquor) served or drunk without ice, a mixer, or water; neat: He drank his whiskey straight.
15. go straight, Informal.to live a law-abiding life; no longer engage in crime.
16. play it straight, Informal.to do something without jokes, tricks, subterfuge, distortions, or the like: a comedian who plays it straight when he crusades against drug abuse.
17. straight off, without delay; immediately: I told him straight off what I thought about the matter. Also,straight away.
18. straight up, (of a cocktail) served without ice: a gin martini straight up.

—n.
1. the condition of being straight.
2. a straight form or position.
3. a straight line.
4. a straight part, as of a racecourse.
5. Informal.
a. a heterosexual.
b. a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
c. a person who is free from narcotics.
6. Chiefly Games.a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

stragglystraight A
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