NARROW, a. I suspect this word and near to be contracted by the loss of g, nig, narrow, strait; nigiaw, to narrow; for the D. has naauw, narrow, close, G. with a prefix. In this case, the word belongs to the root of nigh; to approach.

1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow sea; a narrow hem or border. It is only or chiefly applied to the surface of flat or level bodies.
2. Of little extent; very limited; as, a narrow space or compass.
3. Covetous; not liberal or bountiful; as, a narrow heart.
4. Contracted; of confined views or sentiments; very limited. The greatest understanding is narrow. Grew. In this sense and the former, it is often prefixed to mind or soul, &c.; as, narrow-minded; narrow-souled; narrow-hearted.
5. Near; within a small distance. Dryden.
6. Close; near; accurate; scrutinizing; as, a narrow search; narrow inspection.
7. Near; barely sufficient to avoid evil; as, a narrow escape.

1. To become less broad; to contract in breadth. At that place, the sea narrows into a strait,
2. In horsemanship, a horse is said to narrow, when he does not take ground enough, or bear out enough to the one hand or the other. Far. Dict.
3. To contract the size of a stocking by taking two stitches into one.

1. To lessen the breadth of; to contract. A government, by alienating the affections of the people, may be said to narrow its bottom. Temple.
2. To contract in extent; as, to narrow one's influence; to narrow the faculties or capacity.
3. To draw into a smaller compass; to contract; to limit; to confine; as, to narrow our views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion.
4. In knitting, to contract the size of a stocking by taking two stitches into one.

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

   Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas. Shak.

2. 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.
   
   

   Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerous
   narrow. Gladstone.

3. To lessen the breadth of] to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of.
   
   
   Sir W. Temple.
4. To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.
5. Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
   
   

   The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world. Bp. Wilkins.

6. 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.
   
   

   Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings. I. Watts.

7. Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows.
   
   
   Farrier's Dict.
8. 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.
   
   
   Dryden.
9. To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
10. To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.
11. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.
12. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views.
    
    
    "A narrow understanding." Macaulay.
13. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
    
    

    A very narrow and stinted charity. Smalridge.

14. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
    
    

    But first with narrow search I must walk round
    This garden, and no corner leave unspied. Milton.

15. 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 ***emacr] (***emacr]ve) and ***oomac] (f***oomac]d), etc., from ***ibreve] (***ibreve]ll) and ***oocr] (f***oocr]t), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.
    
    

    * Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words, especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow- brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow- faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow- pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc.

    Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note under Gauge, n., 6.