different between straight vs bare

English

Alternative forms

• streight (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English streight, streght, strei?t, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English stre??an (past participle ?estreaht, ?estreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Doublet of straught.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /st?e?t/
• Rhymes: -e?t
• Homophone: strait

Adjective

straight (comparative straighter, superlative straightest)

1. Not crooked or bent; having a constant direction throughout its length. [from 14^thc.]
   • 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility:

     I do not like crooked, twisted, blasted trees. I admire them much more if they are tall, straight and flourishing.

   • “Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better. […]”

   • 2011, Adharanand Finn, The Guardian, 22 March:

     The other people, I presume, are supposed to be standing to attention, but they're all smiling at me. The lines are not even straight.

2. (of a path, trajectory, etc.) Direct, undeviating. [from 15^thc.]
   • 1913, John Fox, Jr., The Kentuckians, page 185:

     Now, as the world knows, the straightest way to the heart of the honest voter is through the women of the land, and the straightest way to the heart of the women is through the children of the land; and one method of winning both, with rural politicians, is to kiss the babies wide and far.
3. Perfectly horizontal or vertical; not diagonal or oblique. [from 17^thc.]
   • 1925, United States House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee No. 1, Charges Against William E. Baker, U.S. District Judge:

     Mr. Coniff: He did not have his hat on straight; that is the one thing, is it?
4. (cricket) Describing the bat as held so as not to incline to either side; on, or near a line running between the two wickets. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2011 March 15, Alan Gardner & Barney Ronay, The Guardian:

     Steyn continues and it's all a bit more orderly down his end as O'Brien defends the first three balls with a straight bat and a respectful dip of the head.

5. Direct in communication; unevasive, straightforward. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2003, Rosie Cowan, The Guardian, 24 April:

     Tony Blair issued a direct challenge to the IRA yesterday when he demanded they give straight answers to three simple questions […].
6. Free from dishonesty; honest, law-abiding. [from 16th c.]
   • 1879, Anthony Trollope, John Caldigate:

     ‘It wasn't the proper thing, squoire. It wasn't straight.’

   • 2010 August 4, The Guardian, Out of prison and trying to go straight [2]:

     How easy is it to go straight after a life spent in and out of prison?

7. Serious rather than comedic.
   • 1988, Ed Gould, Entertaining Canadians: Canada's international stars, 1900-1988, Cappis Pr Pub Ltd (?ISBN):

     Allan Blye, a CBC-TV mainstay in the early Sixties, worked as a singer, writer and straight and comedic actor.

   • 2004, Tammy Ravas, Peter Schickele: A Bio-bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group (?ISBN):

     All of Peter Schickele's music, both straight and comedic are integrated side by side in this chapter.

   • 2005, Bob McCabe, The Rough Guide to Comedy Movies, Rough Guides Limited:

     More success followed, both straight and comedic, with hits such as Dead Poets' Society (1989), in which Williams scored another Oscar nomination for skilfully handling a classic "rogue teacher" role that hovers just this side of sentimentality, […]

8. In proper order; as it should be. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2010, Paul Gallagher, The Observer, 15 August:

     "If you wonder why folks can't take the news seriously, here's Exhibit A," said one blogger. "Lord Jesus, how can the reporter file this story with a straight face?"

9. In a row, in unbroken sequence; consecutive. [from 19^thc.]
   • 2008, "Bad vibrations", The Economist, 30 October:

     As of October 29th, three-month dollar Libor (the rate at which banks borrow from each other) had fallen for 13 straight days and was nearly one-and-a-half percentage points below its October 10th level.

10. (tennis) Describing the sets in a match of which the winner did not lose a single set. [from 19^thc.]
    • 2011 February 10, Press Association:

      Murray started well against Marcos Baghdatis before slumping to defeat in straight sets and the British No1 admitted he may not have been mentally prepared for the rigours of the ATP Tour after a gruelling start to 2011.

11. (US, politics) Making no exceptions or deviations in one's support of the organization and candidates of a political party.

12. (US, politics) Containing the names of all the regularly nominated candidates of a party and no others.

13. (colloquial) Conventional, mainstream, socially acceptable. [from 20^thc.]
    • 1998, Eileen Fitzpatrick & Dominic Pride, Billboard, 17 October 1998:

      ‘Her last album was a bit too straight,’ he says, ‘but this one puts her in a more contemporary framework and softens her music.’
14. (colloquial) Heterosexual, attracted to people of the opposite sex.
    • 2007, Layla Kumari, The Guardian, 17 September:

      Some of my friends – gay and straight – seem unable to understand the close but platonic nature of my and Gian's relationship, but have been supportive.
15. (colloquial, of a romantic or sexual relation) Occurring between people of opposite sex.

    straight marriage, sex, relationships

16. (colloquial) Not using alcohol, drugs, etc. [from 20^thc.]

    Synonym: straightedge

    • 1989, Gus Van Sant, Drugstore Cowboy:

      For all the boredom the straight life brings, it's not too bad.
17. (fashion) Not plus size; thin.

18. (rare, now chiefly religion) Strait; narrow.
19. (obsolete) Stretched out; fully extended. [15^th-16^thc.]
20. (slang) Thorough; utter; unqualified.
    • 2012, Pimpin' Ken, PIMPOLOGY: The 48 Laws of the Game, page 11:

      A real pimp is a gentleman, but these are pimps in gorilla suits. They hang around pimps, they have hoes on the track working for them, they may even look like pimps, but they are straight simps.

21. Of spirits: undiluted, unmixed; neat. [from 19^thc.]
22. (sciences, mathematics) Concerning the property allowing the parallel-transport of vectors along a course that keeps tangent vectors remain tangent vectors throughout that course (a course which is straight, a straight curve, is a geodesic).

Antonyms

• bent
• crooked
• curved

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ?????

Translations

Adverb

straight (comparative more straight, superlative most straight)

1. Of a direction relative to the subject, precisely; as if following a direct line.

   The door will be straight ahead of you.

   Go straight back.

2. Directly; without pause, delay or detour.

   On arriving at work, he went straight to his office.

   • I know thy generous temper well; / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire, and mounts into a blaze.

3. Continuously; without interruption or pause.

   He claims he can hold his breath for three minutes straight.

Translations

Noun

straight (plural straights)

1. Something that is not crooked or bent such as a part of a road or track.
2. (poker) Five cards in sequence.
3. (colloquial) A heterosexual.

   Synonyms: hetero, breeder

4. (slang) A normal person; someone in mainstream society.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:mainstreamer
5. (slang) A cigarette, particularly one containing tobacco instead of marijuana. [from 20th c.]

   Synonym: straighter

   • [1923, J[oseph] Manchon, Le slang : lexique de l'anglais familier et vulgaire : précédé d'une étude sur la pronunciation et la grammaire populaires, p. 296:

     A straight = a straighter = a straight cut, une cigarette en tabac de Virginie.]

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ????? (sutor?to)
• ? Portuguese: straight

Translations

Verb

straight (third-person singular simple present straights, present participle straighting, simple past and past participle straighted)

1. (transitive) To straighten.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of A. Smith to this entry?)

See also

Portuguese

Etymology

From English straight.

Noun

straight m (plural straights)

1. (poker) straight (five cards in sequence)

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /b??(?)/, /b??(?)/, enPR: bâr
• (US) IPA^(key): /b???/, enPR: bâr
• Rhymes: -??(?)
• Homophone: bear

Etymology 1

From Middle English bare, bar, from Old English bær (“bare, naked, open”), from Proto-West Germanic *ba?, from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“bare, naked”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?osós, from *b?os- (“bare, barefoot”).

Cognate with Scots bare, bair (“bare”), Saterland Frisian bar (“bare”), West Frisian baar (“bare”), Dutch baar (“bare”), German bar (“bare”), Swedish bar (“bare”), Icelandic ber (“bare”), Lithuanian basas (“barefoot, bare”), Polish bosy (“barefoot”).

Adjective

bare (comparative barer, superlative barest)

1. Minimal; that is or are just sufficient.
2. Naked, uncovered.
3. Having no supplies.

   a room bare of furniture

   The cupboard was bare.

   • 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, "[1]," New York Times (retrieved 31 October 2012):

     Localities across New Jersey imposed curfews to prevent looting. In Monmouth, Ocean and other counties, people waited for hours for gasoline at the few stations that had electricity. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare.

4. Having no decoration.

   The walls of this room are bare — why not hang some paintings on them?

5. Having had what usually covers (something) removed.

   The trees were left bare after the swarm of locusts devoured all the leaves.

6. (MLE, Toronto, not comparable) A lot or lots of.

   It's bare money to get in the club each time, man.

7. With head uncovered; bareheaded.
8. Without anything to cover up or conceal one's thoughts or actions; open to view; exposed.
9. (figuratively) Mere; without embellishment.
10. Threadbare, very worn.
    • c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II, scene iv:

      for it appears, by their bare liveries, that they live by your bare words.

11. Not insured.
    • 1987, 1 December, ABA Journal (page 86)

      Before the company was formed, the firm went bare for about three months in 1985, but it now has prior acts coverage for that time.

    • 1994, David S. Haviland, The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (page 310)

      That a firm chooses to go bare has no effect on whether it gets sued or not.

Synonyms

• (minimal): mere, minimal
• (without a condom): Thesaurus:condomless
• (naked): exposed, naked, nude, uncovered, undressed
• (having no supplies): empty, unfurnished, unstocked, unsupplied
• (having no decoration): empty, plain, unadorned, undecorated
• (having had what usually covers (something) removed): despoiled, stripped, uncovered

Antonyms

• (minimal): ample, plentiful, sufficient
• (naked): covered, covered up, dressed, unexposed
• (having no supplies): full, furnished, stocked, supplied, well-stocked
• (having no decoration): adorned, decorated, ornate
• (having had what usually covers (something) removed): covered

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

bare

1. (Britain, slang) Very; significantly.

   That pissed me off bare.

   It's taking bare time.

2. Barely.
3. Without a condom.

Translations

Noun

bare (plural bares)

1. (‘the bare’) The surface, the (bare) skin.
   • 1599, John Marston, Antonio and Mellida

     In sad good earnest, sir, you have toucht the very bare of naked truth [...]

   • 2002, Darren Shan, Hunters of the dusk: 7:

     Vancha clasped the bare of my neck and squeezed amiably.

2. Surface; body; substance.
   • c. 1599, John Marston, Antonio and Mellida

     You have touched the very bare of naked truth.

3. (architecture) That part of a roofing slate, shingle, tile, or metal plate, which is exposed to the weather.

Etymology 2

From Middle English baren, from Old English barian, from Proto-Germanic *baz?n? (“to bare, make bare”).

Verb

bare (third-person singular simple present bares, present participle baring, simple past and past participle bared)

1. (transitive) To uncover; to reveal.

Usage notes

The verb should not be confused with the verb bear.

Synonyms

• (uncover): expose, lay bare, reveal, show, uncover; see also Thesaurus:reveal

Antonyms

• (uncover): cover, cover up, hide

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

Inflected forms.

Verb

bare

1. (obsolete) simple past tense of bear

   • And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon

   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 5

     And so I put thee on my shoulder and bare thee back, and here thou art in David's room, and shalt find board and bed with me as long as thou hast mind to

References

• bare in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• bare in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Aber, Bear, Brea, Reba, bear, brae, rabe

Basque

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ba.?e/

Etymology 1

Adjective

bare (comparative bareago, superlative bareen, excessive bareegi)

1. calm

Declension

Etymology 2

Noun

bare anim

1. slug

Declension

Etymology 3

Noun

bare inan

1. spleen

Declension

References

• “bare” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
• “bare” in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
• “bare” in Etymological Dictionary of Basque by R. L. Trask, sussex.ac.uk

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bar?/

Noun

bare

1. vocative singular of bar

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ba?r?/, [?b????]

Etymology 1

From the adjective bar (“naked”).

Adverb

bare

1. just
2. simply
3. only, merely

Conjunction

bare

1. I wish, I hope, if only (introduces a wish)
   • 1979, Tove Ditlevsen, Vi har kun hinanden: To som elsker hinanden (?ISBN)

     Bare vi var alene.

     I wish we were alone.

   • 2014, Pernille Eybye, Blodets bånd #1: Blodsøstre, Tellerup A/S (?ISBN)

     „Bare jeg kunne blive hele natten," fortsatte han.

     "If only I could stay all night", he continued.

   • 2013, Lyngby-Taarbæk Bibliotekerne, Tanker om tid: 15 udvalgte noveller, BoD – Books on Demand (?ISBN), page 43

     Bare jeg kunne spole tiden tilbage.

     If only I could rewind time.

2. if only (introduces a conditional subclause)

Synonyms

• gid, om, hvis bare, kun

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

bare

1. inflection of bar:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

bare

1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of baren

Italian

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -are

Noun

bare f

1. plural of bara

Anagrams

• erba

Lithuanian

Noun

bare m

1. locative/vocative singular of baras

Manx

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

bare

1. best

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *b?ra, from Proto-West Germanic *b?ru, from Proto-Germanic *b?r?.

Noun

bâre f

1. bier, stretcher

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: baar

Further reading

• “bare (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “bare (IV)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN, page IV

Middle English

Noun

bare

1. (Northern) Alternative form of bor

Miriwung

Verb

bare

1. to stand

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

Compare Persian ????? (bâre, “subject, issue”).

Noun

bare m

1. topic
2. hashtag

Derived terms

• di bareya ... de

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

bare

1. definite singular of bar
2. plural of bar

Adverb

bare

1. only, merely, just
2. but

Conjunction

bare

1. if; as long as

See also

• berre (Nynorsk)

References

• “bare” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Anagrams

• aber

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adverb

bare

1. form removed with the spelling reform of 2012; superseded by berre

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

bare (Cyrillic spelling ????)

1. vocative singular of b?r

Noun

bare (Cyrillic spelling ????)

1. inflection of b?ra:
   1. genitive singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative plural

Swedish

Adjective

bare

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of bar.

Anagrams

• aber