a. [ Compar. Stricter superl. Strictest. ] [ L. strictus, p. p. of stringere to draw or bind tight, to strain. See Strain, and cf. Strait, a. ] 1. Strained; drawn close; tight; as, a strict embrace; a strict ligature. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Tense; not relaxed; as, a strict fiber. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Exact; accurate; precise; rigorously nice; as, to keep strict watch; to pay strict attention. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

It shall be still in strictest measure. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Governed or governing by exact rules; observing exact rules; severe; rigorous; as, very strict in observing the Sabbath. “Through the strict senteries.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Rigidly; interpreted; exactly limited; confined; restricted; as, to understand words in a strict sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Bot.) Upright, or straight and narrow; -- said of the shape of the plants or their flower clusters. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Exact; accurate; nice; close; rigorous; severe. -- Strict, Severe. Strict, applied to a person, denotes that he conforms in his motives and acts to a principle or code by which he is bound; severe is strict with an implication often, but not always, of harshness. Strict is opposed to lax; severe is opposed to gentle. [ 1913 Webster ]

And rules as strict his labored work confine,
As if the Stagirite o'erlooked each line. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Soon moved with touch of blame, thus Eve: -
“What words have passed thy lips, Adam severe!” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Strict Observance, or
Friars of the Strict Observance. (R. C. Ch.) See Observance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. strictio. See Stringent. ] The act of constricting, or the state of being constricted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Line of striction (Geom.), the line on a skew surface that cuts each generator in that point of it that is nearest to the succeeding generator. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a strict manner; closely; precisely. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality or state of being strict. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. strictura a contraction, from stringere, strictum, to draw tight: cf. F. stricture. See Strict. ] 1. Strictness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A man of stricture and firm abstinence. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stroke; a glance; a touch. [ Obs. ] Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A touch of adverse criticism; censure. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ I have ] given myself the liberty of these strictures by way of reflection on all and every passage. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Med.) A localized morbid contraction of any passage of the body. Cf. Organic stricture, and Spasmodic stricture, under Organic, and Spasmodic. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Affected with a stricture; as, a strictured duct. [ 1913 Webster ]