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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
narrowish adj. narrowly adv. narrowness n.
Etymology: OE nearu nearw- f. Gmc