constrain

/kənstˈɹeɪn/kuhn-STRAYN

Meaningto bind tight

Common meaning: to force or confine

conwith, together; thoroughly
strainto draw tight, bindLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1766 · scan

‘with, together’ + ‘to draw tight, bind’ → constrain

Journey through time

Latinstringō, strīnxī, strictum‘to draw tight, bind’
Middle Englishconstreinensource
Englishconstrain‘to force or confine’ · today

con- also in: convex convey concave conceal concede

strain also in: strain strict district restrain

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin stringō ‘to draw tight, bind’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry stringō, p. 1766 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry DISTRICT, p. 173 · dictionary scan

Roots

stringō, strīnxī, strictum Latin “to draw tight, bind”

Related words

district restrain strain strict

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