Definitions for narrow
ˈnær oʊnar·row

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. narrow(adj)

   a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water

2. narrow(adj)

   not wide

   "a narrow bridge"; "a narrow line across the page"

3. narrow(adj)

   limited in size or scope

   "the narrow sense of a word"

4. narrow-minded, narrow(adj)

   lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view

   "a brilliant but narrow-minded judge"; "narrow opinions"

5. narrow(adj)

   very limited in degree

   "won by a narrow margin"; "a narrow escape"

6. minute, narrow(verb)

   characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination

   "a minute inspection of the grounds"; "a narrow scrutiny"; "an exact and minute report"

7. narrow, contract(verb)

   make or become more narrow or restricted

   "The selection was narrowed"; "The road narrowed"

8. pin down, peg down, nail down, narrow down, narrow, specify(verb)

   define clearly

   "I cannot narrow down the rules for this game"

9. specialize, specialise, narrow, narrow down(verb)

   become more focus on an area of activity or field of study

   "She specializes in Near Eastern history"

10. constrict, constringe, narrow(verb)

    become tight or as if tight

    "Her throat constricted"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. narrow(Verb)

   To reduce in width or extent; to contract.

   We need to narrow the search.

2. narrow(Verb)

   To get narrower.

   The road narrows.

3. narrow(Adjective)

   having a small width; not wide; slim; slender; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.

   a narrow hallway

4. narrow(Adjective)

   Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.

   a narrow interpretation

Origin: Old English nearu

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Narrow

   of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem

2. Narrow

   of little extent; very limited; circumscribed

3. Narrow

   having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; -- with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority

4. Narrow

   limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances

5. Narrow

   contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views

6. Narrow

   parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish

7. Narrow

   scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact

8. Narrow

   formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; -- distinguished from wide; as e (eve) and / (f/d), etc., from i (ill) and / (f/t), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, / 13

9. Narrow(noun)

   a narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; -- usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor

10. Narrow(verb)

    to lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of

11. Narrow(verb)

    to contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion

12. Narrow(verb)

    to contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one

13. Narrow(verb)

    to become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait

14. Narrow(verb)

    not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows

15. Narrow(verb)

    to contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one

Origin: [OE. narwe, naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Narrow

   nar′ō, adj. of little breadth: of small extent from side to side: limited: contracted in mind: bigoted: not liberal: selfish: within a small distance: almost too small: close: accurate: careful.—n. (oftener used in the pl.) a narrow passage, channel, or strait.—v.t. to make narrow: to contract or confine.—v.i. to become narrow: to reduce the number of stitches in knitting.—adj. Narr′ow-gauge, denoting a railroad of less width than 4 ft. 8½ in.—n. Narr′owing, the act of making less in breadth: the state of being contracted: the part of anything which is made narrower.—adv. Narr′owly.—adj. Narr′ow-mind′ed, of a narrow or illiberal mind.—ns. Narr′ow-mind′edness; Narr′owness.—adjs. Narr′ow-pry′ing (Shak.), scrutinising closely, inquisitive; Narr′ow-souled, illiberal.—Narrow cloth, cloth, esp. woollen, of less than 54 inches in width; Narrow work, in mining, the making of passages, air-shafts, &c. [A.S. nearu; not conn. with near, but prob. with nerve, snare.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'narrow' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2102

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'narrow' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3295

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'narrow' in Verbs Frequency: #1030

4. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'narrow' in Adjectives Frequency: #253

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of narrow in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of narrow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of narrow in a Sentence

1. Ernest Hemingway:

   America is the land of wide lawns and narrow minds.

2. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   In narrow and gloomy streets, keep your spirit high!

3. Chief Executive Marco Morelli:

   We are on a very narrow path and we cannot wander off.

4. Mark Twain:

   Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.

5. Juvenal:

   Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind.

Images & Illustrations of narrow

Popularity rank by frequency of use