narrowness

Variant of narrow

narrow definition

nar·row (nar′ō, ner′ō)

adjective

  1. small in width as compared to length; esp., less wide than is customary, standard, or expected; not wide
  2. limited in meaning, size, amount, or extent a narrow majority
  3. limited in outlook; without breadth of view or generosity; not liberal; prejudiced a narrow mind
  4. close; careful; minute; thorough a narrow inspection
  5. with limited margin; with barely enough space, time, etc.; barely successful a narrow escape
  6. limited in means; with hardly enough to live on narrow circumstances
  7. ☆ having a relatively high proportion of protein: said of livestock feed
  8. Dialectal stingy; parsimonious
  9. Phonet. tense: said of certain vowels

Etymology: ME narwe < OE nearu, akin to MDu nare, OS naru < IE base *(s)ner-, to turn, twist > snare, Gr narkē, stupor

intransitive verb

to decrease in width; contract the river narrows

transitive verb

to decrease or limit in width, extent, or scope; restrict to narrow an argument

noun

  1. a narrow part or place, esp. in a valley, mountain pass, road, etc.
  2. a narrow passage, as between two bodies of water; strait

Related Forms:

narrow Idioms

The Narrows

strait between Upper & Lower New York Bay, separating Staten Island & Long Island

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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