straits

noun

  1. a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water —often used in plural but singular in construction

  2. isthmus

  3. a narrow space or passage

juncture exigency emergency contingency pinch strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

noun

  1. a dollar formerly issued by British Malaya and used in much of southern and eastern Asia and the East Indies

geographical name

  1. former country in southeastern Asia on the Strait of Malacca comprising Singapore Island, Penang, and Melaka area 1242 square miles (3229 square kilometers); now divided between the republic of Singapore and the federation of Malaysia