straight: [14] Straight began life as the past participle of stretch. Nowadays this verb has a perfectly normal past form (stretched), but in Middle English it was straught (source of distraught [14], an alteration of distract) or straight – whence the adjective straight. The sense ‘not bent or curved’ derives from the notion of stretching something between two points. Straightaway [15] originally meant ‘by a straight path’; the temporal sense ‘immediately’ emerged in the 16th century. => distract, distraught, stretch
straight (adj.1)
late 14c., "direct, undeviating; not crooked, not bent or curved," of a person, "direct, honest;" properly "stretched," adjectival use of Old English streht (earlier streaht), past participle of streccan "to stretch" (see stretch (v.)). Related: Straightly; straightness.
Meaning "true, direct, honest" is from 1520s. Of communication, "clear, unambiguous," from 1862. Sense of "undiluted, uncompromising" (as in straight whiskey, 1874) is American English, first recorded 1856. As an adverb from c. 1300, "in a straight line, without swerving or deviating." Theatrical sense of "serious" (as opposed to popular or comic) is attested from 1895; vaudeville slang straight man first attested 1923.
Go straight in the underworld slang sense is from 1919; straighten up "become respectable" is from 1907. To play it straight is from 1906 in theater, 1907 in sports ("play fair"), with figurative extension; later perhaps also from jazz. Straight arrow "decent, conventional person" is 1969, from archetypal Native American brave name. Straight shooter is from 1928. Straight As "top grades" is from 1920.
straight (adj.2)
"conventional," especially "heterosexual," 1941, a secondary sense evolved from straight (adj.1), probably suggested by straight and narrow path "course of conventional morality and law-abiding behavior," which is based on a misreading of Matt. vii:14 (where the gate is actually strait), and the other influence seems to be from strait-laced.
straight (n.)
1640s, "a level position," from straight (adj.1). From 1864 as "straight part of a race track." Poker sense attested from 1841. Meaning "conventional person" is first recorded 1967, from straight (adj.2).
实用例句
1. He finished his conversation and stood up, looking straight at me.
他说完话站起来，直视着我。
来自柯林斯例句
2. We'll go to a meeting in Birmingham and come straight back.
我们将去伯明翰参加会议，然后马上回来。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The ball fell straight to the feet of Klinsmann.
球直接落到了克林斯曼的脚上。
来自柯林斯例句
4. He looked straight ahead and overtook a lumbering lorry.
他眼睛直视前方，加速超过了前面一辆慢吞吞行进的大卡车。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Her ear, shoulder and hip are in a straight line.
