NARROW

narrow, narrow-minded

(adjective) lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view; “a brilliant but narrow-minded judge”; “narrow opinions”

minute, narrow

(adjective) characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination; “a minute inspection of the grounds”; “a narrow scrutiny”; “an exact and minute report”

narrow

(adjective) limited in size or scope; “the narrow sense of a word”

narrow

(adjective) not wide; “a narrow bridge”; “a narrow line across the page”

narrow

(adjective) very limited in degree; “won by a narrow margin”; “a narrow escape”

narrow

(noun) a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water

constrict, constringe, narrow

(verb) become tight or as if tight; “Her throat constricted”

narrow, contract

(verb) make or become more narrow or restricted; “The selection was narrowed”; “The road narrowed”

specialize, specialise, narrow, narrow down

(verb) become more focused on an area of activity or field of study; “She specializes in Near Eastern history”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Adjective

narrow (comparative narrower, superlative narrowest)

Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.

Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.

(figuratively) Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.

Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted

Having a small margin or degree.

(dated) Limited as to means; straitened

Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.

Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.

(phonetics) Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; distinguished from wide.

Antonyms

• wide

• broad

Noun

narrow (plural narrows)

(chiefly, in the plural) A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.

Etymology 2

Verb

narrow (third-person singular simple present narrows, present participle narrowing, simple past and past participle narrowed)

(transitive) To reduce in width or extent; to contract.

(intransitive) To get narrower.

(of a person or eyes) To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.

(knitting) To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.

(transitive, programming) To convert to a data type that cannot hold as many distinct values.

Antonym: widen

Synonyms

• taper

Source: Wiktionary

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Nar"row, a. [Compar. Narrower; superl. Narrowest.] Etym: [OE. narwe, naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.]

1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem. Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas. Shak.

2. Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed. The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world. Bp. Wilkins.

3. Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; -- with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority. Dryden.

4. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.

5. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views. "A narrow understanding." Macaulay.

6. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish. A very narrow and stinted charity. Smalridge.

7. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact. But first with narrow search I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unspied. Milton.

8. (Phon.)

Definition: Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; -- distinguished from wide; as e (eve) and oo (food), etc., from ì (ìll) and oo (foot), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.

Note: Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words, especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow-brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow-faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow- pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc. Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note under Gauge, n., 6.

Nar"row, n.; pl. Narrows (.

Definition: A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; -- usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor. Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerous narrow. Gladstone.

Nar"row, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Narrowing.] Etym: [AS. nearwian.]

1. To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of. Sir W. Temple.

2. To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion. Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings. I. Watts.

3. (Knitting)

Definition: To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.

Nar"row, v. i.

1. To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.

2. (Man.)

Definition: Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows. Farrier's Dict.

3. (Knitting)

Definition: To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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