Thight

a. Now dial. Forms: 4 thycht (Sc.), 5 thyght, thyht, 6 thicht (Sc.), (theight), 7 (9 dial.) thite, thyte, 7–8 (9 dial.) thight, (9 dial. theet, theat). [Found c. 1375: the earlier form of the word TIGHT. App. a. early ON. *þéhtr, in later ON. þéttr tight, water-tight, close in texture, solid (Norw. tjett, tett, Sw. tät, Da. tæt tight, compact, close). Corresponding in form and meaning to WFris. ticht, MDu. and MLG. dicht (whence also mod. Ger. dicht in same sense), also to MHG. dîhte close (whence mod. Ger. dial. deicht in Livonia and Esthonia). Not known in the earlier stage of any WGer. lang., but would be in OHG. *dîht, OS. and OFris. *thicht, OE. *þíht, Goth. *þeihts:—OTeut. *þîhto^z from earlier *þiŋχto^z, f. verbal root *þiŋχ-, to grow: see THEE v.¹ Though not evidenced before 1375, the word was doubtless in use in the Danelaw from early times. See also TIGHT.]

  1.  Set or growing closely together; thick-set, dense: said of rain, growing crops, reeds in a marsh, etc. Now dial.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 574. Þare-with fel þe rane sa thycht, Þat [etc.].

1787.  W. Marshall, Norfolk Gloss., Thight, applied to turneps or other crops,—close, thickset. [Ibid., I. 271 There are men who are fully aware that the ‘proof’ of their turnep-crop, depends more on its thightness than on the size of the plant.]

1895.  Emerson, Birds, etc. Norfolk Broadland, I. xx. 56. The happy pair [of reed-pheasants] fly about the ‘thyle (thick) reed,’ plucking reed-feathers.

  † 2.  Solid, not hollow, whole. Obs.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 491/2. Thyht, hool fro brekynge, not brokyn…, integer. Thyht, not hool wythe-in, solidus. Ibid., Thyhtyn, or make thyht, integro, consolido, solido.

  † 3.  Close, compact, or dense in structure or texture, as a membrane. Obs.

  In quot. 1539 the sense differs little from 1. In some uses also with the notion of being impermeable to moisture, as in 4.

1539.  Will T. Samson (Somerset Ho.). A thyght nett.

1615.  Crooke, Body of Man, 86. It is harder then the true skin and more thight. [Ibid., 88. Wherefore they referre the cause of the concretion or congealing with Aristotle, to the fastnesse and thightnesse of the Membranes.] Ibid., 387. The coates of the veines are thicke and thight, that nothing but that which is very thinne may sweate out.

1678.  Phillips (ed. 4), Thight, (old word) well compacted or knit together.

  4.  So close in texture or structure as to keep water out; esp. of a ship or boat, so closely compacted and well caulked as to be water-tight. Now dial.

1501.  Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., II. 24. Item, for vij pund of rosait to mak the clath thicht … xiiij d.

1587.  Greene, Penelope’s Web, Wks. (Grosart), V. 150. Causing his weather beaten shippes to be warped out of the Hauen as soone as they were made theight.

a. 1625.  Nomenclator Navalis (Harl. MS. 2301), s.v., When the Shipp is staunch and makes but little water, she is thight.

1628.  Digby, Voy. Medit. (Camden), 27. Shee was so leakie as was a great cumber … till shee were vnladen and mended thyte. Ibid., 37. The boate seemed to be a fine one and thite, but with long driuing was halfe full of water.

a. 1825.  Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Thite, compact, not leaky, water-tight.

1866.  Edmondston, Gloss. Shetl. & Orkney, Thight, close, so as not to admit water.

1877.  Holderness Gloss., s.v., A theet roof, a theet cask.

  5.  Tight, close-fitting, as apparel. dial.

a. 1825.  in Forby, Voc. E. Anglia.

  Hence † Thight v., trans. to make ‘thight’; Thightness, closeness, denseness, tightness.

c. 1440.  Thyhtyn [see 2].

1615, 1787.  Thightness [see 3, 1].