- (also straits)[plural]
(especially in the names of places 尤用于地名 a narrow passage of water that connects two seas or large areas of water 海峡；（连结两大水域的）水道 the Strait(s) of Gibraltar 直布罗陀海峡
Extra ExamplesMany hundreds of vessels pass through the straits each year. 每年有成百上千艘船通过海峡。 The oil terminal is in the narrow strait that separates the island from the mainland. 输油管道的终点在一条将海岛与大陆分隔开的狭窄海峡中。 The town is on the straits between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. 该镇位于黑海和地中海之间的水道上。 a ship anchored in the Straits of Hormuz 停泊在霍尔木兹海峡的一艘轮船
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- narrow
- go through
- pass through
- enter
- …
- separate something
- across the strait
- in the strait
- on the strait
- …
- straits[plural]
a very difficult situation especially because of lack of money （尤指经济拮据引起的）困境，境况窘迫 The factory is in dire straits. 工厂岌岌可危。 She found herself in desperate financial straits. 她发觉自己经济状况极为窘迫。 The business is in dire financial straits. 这家公司处于严重的财务困境中。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- desperate
- dire
- serious
- …
- in strait
Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old French estreit ‘tight, narrow’, from Latin strictus ‘drawn tight’, past participle of stringere ‘tighten, draw tight’.