straight: Meaning and Definition of

straight

Pronunciation: (strāt), [key]
— adj. adv., n. -er, -est,
—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. 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.
    1. heterosexual.
    2. traditional; conventional.
    3. free from using narcotics.
    4. not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
  15. undiluted, as whiskey.
  16. (of acting) straightforward; not striving for effect.
  17. 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.
  18. 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. 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. to live a law-abiding life; no longer engage in crime.
  16. to do something without jokes, tricks, subterfuge, distortions, or the like: a comedian who plays it straight when he crusades against drug abuse.
  17. without delay; immediately: I told him straight off what I thought about the matter.
  18. (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.
    1. a heterosexual.
    2. a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
    3. a person who is free from narcotics.
  5. a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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