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Added 9 October 2026

tighten

/ˈtaɪ.tən/ verb

In Latin: stringō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tighten at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To make tighter.
Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.
To become tighter.
That joint is tightening as the wood dries.
To make money harder to borrow or obtain.
If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.

Origin

Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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