Meaning & Definition of Strain in English

1. (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

2. Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension

• "She endured the stresses and strains of life"

• "He presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- r.j.samuelson

3. A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

• "She was humming an air from beethoven"

4. (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress

• "His responsibilities were a constant strain"

• "The mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him"

5. A special variety of domesticated animals within a species

• "He experimented on a particular breed of white rats"

• "He created a new strain of sheep"

6. (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups

• "A new strain of microorganisms"

7. Injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse)

• Results in swelling and pain

8. The general meaning or substance of an utterance

• "Although i disagreed with him i could follow the tenor of his argument"

9. An effortful attempt to attain a goal

10. An intense or violent exertion

11. The act of singing

• "With a shout and a song they marched up to the gates"

1. To exert much effort or energy

• "Straining our ears to hear"

2. Test the limits of

• "You are trying my patience!"

3. Use to the utmost

• Exert vigorously or to full capacity

• "He really extended himself when he climbed kilimanjaro"

• "Don't strain your mind too much"

4. Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements

• "Sift the flour"

5. Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

• "He got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"

6. Become stretched or tense or taut

• "The bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed

• " "the rope strained when the weight was attached"

7. Remove by passing through a filter

• "Filter out the impurities"

8. Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

• "Puree the vegetables for the baby"

9. Alter the shape of (something) by stress

• "His body was deformed by leprosy"