Stricture
/ˈstrɪk.tʃər/noun
A restriction or limitation; in medicine, an abnormal narrowing of a passage in the body.
Did you know?It comes from the same Latin root as words for drawing tight and compressing, which is why its oldest sense is literally a narrowing or constriction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*streig-
“to stroke, press, or draw tight”
Latin
Latin
stringere
“to draw tight, bind, compress”
Latin
Latin
strictura
“a drawing tight; a tightening or constriction”
Middle French
Old French
stricture
“a tightening, constriction”
Late Middle English
English
stricture
“a binding or restriction; later, a narrowing in the body”
Modern English
English
stricture
“a restriction or limitation; an abnormal narrowing”