straight
Pronunciation: (strāt), [key]
— adj. adv., n. -er, -est,
—adj.
- without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.
- exactly vertical or horizontal; in a perfectly vertical or horizontal plane: a straight table.
- (of a line) generated by a point moving at a constant velocity with respect to another point.
- evenly or uprightly formed or set: straight shoulders.
- without circumlocution; frank; candid: straight speaking.
- honest, honorable, or upright, as conduct, dealings, methods, or persons.
- reliable, as a report or information.
- right or correct, as reasoning, thinking, or a thinker.
- in the proper order or condition: Things are straight now.
- continuous or unbroken: in straight succession.
- thoroughgoing or unreserved: a straight Republican.
- supporting or cast for all candidates of one political party: to vote a straight ticket.
- unmodified or unaltered: a straight comedy.
- without change in the original melody or tempo: She does straight songs, with just the piano backing her.
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- heterosexual.
- traditional; conventional.
- free from using narcotics.
- not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
- undiluted, as whiskey.
- (of acting) straightforward; not striving for effect.
- 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.
- containing cards in consecutive denominations, as a two, three, four, five, and six, in various suits.
—adv.
- in a straight line: to walk straight.
- in an even form or position: pictures hung straight.
- in an erect posture: to stand up straight.
- directly: to go straight to a place.
- without circumlocution; frankly; candidly (often fol. by out).
- honestly, honorably, or virtuously: to live straight.
- without intricate involvement; not in a roundabout way; to the point.
- in a steady course (often fol. by on): to keep straight on after the second traffic light.
- into the proper form or condition; in order: to put a room straight.
- in possession of the truth or of true ideas: I want to set you straight before you make mistakes.
- sold without discount regardless of the quantity bought: Candy bars are twenty cents straight.
- directly and objectively: Write the circus story straight.
- without personal embellishments, additions, etc.: Tell the story straight. Sing the song straight.
- (of liquor) served or drunk without ice, a mixer, or water; neat: He drank his whiskey straight.
- to live a law-abiding life; no longer engage in crime.
- to do something without jokes, tricks, subterfuge, distortions, or the like: a comedian who plays it straight when he crusades against drug abuse.
- without delay; immediately: I told him straight off what I thought about the matter.
- (of a cocktail) served without ice: a gin martini straight up.
—n.
- the condition of being straight.
- a straight form or position.
- a straight line.
- a straight part, as of a racecourse.
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- a heterosexual.
- a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
- a person who is free from narcotics.
- a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.