strait
strait /streɪt/
noun [countable]
the Bering Strait
2. be in dire straits to be in a very difficult situation, especially a financial one:
After the war, the country’s economy was in dire straits.
The firm is now in dire financial straits.
strait /streɪt/
noun [countable] Date: 1300-1400
Origin: strait 'narrow' (13-20 centuries), from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus; ⇨ strict
1. (also straits [plural]) a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas:Origin: strait 'narrow' (13-20 centuries), from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus; ⇨ strict
2. be in dire straits to be in a very difficult situation, especially a financial one: