tighten

tighten
also tighten up verb
1 (T) to close or fasten something firmly by turning it: Tighten up the screws. | You'll need to tighten the lid on the jar.
2 (I, T) if you tighten a rope, wire etc, or if it tightens, it is stretched or pulled so that it becomes tight: When you tighten guitar strings the note gets higher.
3 to become stiff or make a part of your body become stiff: I can feel my neck tightening up.
4 (T) to make a rule, law, or system more strict: tighten up on: measures aimed at tightening up on security
5 tighten your hold/grip on to hold someone or something more firmly: Sarah tightened her grip on my arm.
6 tighten your belt informal to try to spend less money than you used to: When Maureen lost her job, we had to tighten our belts.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • tighten — UK [ˈtaɪt(ə)n] / US or tighten up UK / US verb Word forms tighten : present tense I/you/we/they tighten he/she/it tightens present participle tightening past tense tightened past participle tightened Word forms tighten up : present tense… …   English dictionary

  • Tighten Up — may refer to: Tighten Up (Archie Bell the Drells album) Tighten Up (Archie Bell the Drells song) Tighten Up (Electronic song) Tighten Up (The Black Keys song) Tighten Up, a 1960s series of reggae compilation albums issued by Trojan Records See… …   Wikipedia

  • tighten — UK US /ˈtaɪtən/ verb [I or T] ► (also tighten up) GOVERNMENT, LAW to make a rule, system, or law stronger and more difficult to ignore: tighten controls/rules/regulation »There were renewed calls to tighten controls on imported products. ►… …   Financial and business terms

  • Tighten — Tight en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tightened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tightening}.] To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. [1913 Webster] Just where I please, with tightened rein I ll urge thee round the dusty plain. Fawkes. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tighten — index adhere (fasten), constrict (compress) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • tighten — (v.) to make tight, 1727; the earlier verb was simply tight, from O.E. tyhtan, from the root of TIGHT (Cf. tight). Related: Tightened; tightening …   Etymology dictionary

  • tighten — [v] constrict bind, clench, close, compress, condense, congeal, contract, cramp, crush, fasten, fix, grip, harden, narrow, pinch, pressure, rigidify, screw, secure, squeeze, stiffen, strain, strangle, stretch, tauten, tense, toughen; concepts 250 …   New thesaurus

  • tighten — [tīt′ n] vt., vi. to make or become tight or tighter tightener n …   English World dictionary

  • tighten — [[t]ta͟ɪt(ə)n[/t]] tightens, tightening, tightened 1) V ERG If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens, you hold the thing more firmly or securely. [V n] Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder... [V prep] Her… …   English dictionary

  • tighten — tight|en [ˈtaıtn] v also tighten up 1.) [T] to close or fasten something firmly by turning it ≠ ↑loosen ▪ Tighten the screws firmly. ▪ I d put the new tyre on, but I hadn t tightened up the wheel. 2.) [I and T] if you tighten a rope, wire etc, or …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tighten — tight|en [ taıtn ] verb ** 1. ) transitive to turn something such as a screw or cover until it is tight and you cannot turn it any more 2. ) transitive to pull something such as a rope or belt until it is straighter or fits more tightly around… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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