adj., n., & v.
adj. (narrower, narrowest) 1 a of small width in proportion to length; lacking breadth. b confined or confining; constricted (within narrow bounds). 2 of limited scope; restricted (in the narrowest sense). 3 with little margin (a narrow escape). 4 searching; precise; exact (a narrow examination). 5 = NARROW-MINDED. 6 (of a vowel) tense. 7 of small size.
n. 1 (usu. in pl.) the narrow part of a strait, river, sound, etc. 2 a narrow pass or street.
v. 1 intr. become narrow; diminish; contract; lessen. 2 tr. make narrow; constrict; restrict. narrow boat Brit. a canal boat, esp. one less than 7 ft. (2.1 metres) wide. narrow circumstances poverty. narrow cloth cloth less than 52 inches wide. narrow gauge a railway track that has a smaller gauge than the standard one. narrow seas the English Channel and the Irish Sea. narrow squeak 1 a narrow escape. 2 a success barely attained. narrowish adj. narrowly adv. narrowness n.
[ OE nearu nearw- f. Gmc ]