Definitions for strainstreɪn

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word strain

Random House Webster's College Dictionary


  1. to draw tight; make taut:

    to strain a rope.

  2. to exert to the utmost:

    to strain one's reach.

  3. to injure (a muscle, tendon, etc.) by stretching or overexertion.

  4. to cause mechanical deformation in by stress.

  5. to stretch beyond the proper limit:

    to strain the meaning of a word.

  6. to make excessive demands upon:

    to strain one's resources.

  7. to cause to pass through a strainer.

  8. to draw off by means of a strainer:

    to strain the water from spinach.

  9. (v.i.)to pull forcibly:

    a dog straining at a leash.

  10. to make strenuous efforts; exert oneself.

  11. to resist forcefully; balk.

  12. to undergo strain.

  13. to filter, percolate, or ooze.

  14. (n.)any force or pressure tending to alter shape, cause a fracture, etc.

  15. strong muscular or physical effort.

  16. great effort in pursuit of a goal.

  17. an injury to a muscle, tendon, etc., due to excessive tension or use; sprain.

  18. deformation of a solid body or structure in response to application of a force.

    Category: Mechanics, Physics

  19. condition of being strained or stretched.

  20. severe or fatiguing pressure:

    the strain of hard work.

Origin of strain:

1250–1300; ME streinen (v.) < OF estrein-, s. of estreindre to press tightly, grip < L stringere to bind, tie


  1. the body of descendants of a common ancestor, as a family or stock.

    Category: Genetics

  2. any of the different lines of ancestry united in a family or an individual.

    Category: Genetics

  3. an artificial variety of a species of domestic animal or cultivated plant.

    Category: Genetics, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Botany

  4. a variety, esp. of microorganisms.

    Category: Microbiology

  5. ancestry or descent.

    Category: Genetics

  6. hereditary or natural character, tendency, or trait:

    a strain of insanity in a family.

    Category: Medicine

  7. a streak or trace.

  8. a kind or sort.

Origin of strain:

bef. 950; ME strene, OE gestrēon presumably, begetting, generation, c. OS, OHG gistriuni


  1. a flow or burst of language, eloquence, etc.:

    the lofty strain of Cicero.

  2. a melody; tune.

    Category: Music and Dance

  3. a passage or piece of poetry.

    Category: Prosody

  4. a pervading style; spirit:

    a humorous strain.

    Category: Literature

Origin of strain:

1555–65; cf. obs. strain to play (an instrument), use (one's voice) in singing

Princeton's WordNet

  1. strain(noun)


  2. stress, strain(noun)

    difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension



    a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

    "she was humming an air from Beethoven"

  4. strain, mental strain, nervous strain(noun)

    (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress


  5. breed, strain, stock(noun)

    a special variety of domesticated animals within a species


  6. form, variant, strain, var.(noun)


    "a new strain of microorganisms"

  7. strain(noun)


  8. tenor, strain(noun)

    the general meaning or substance of an utterance


  9. striving, nisus, pains, strain(noun)

    an effortful attempt to attain a goal

  10. strain, straining(noun)

    an intense or violent exertion

  11. song, strain(verb)

    the act of singing


  12. strive, reach, strain(verb)

    to exert much effort or energy

    "straining our ears to hear"

  13. try, strain, stress(verb)

    test the limits of

    "You are trying my patience!"

  14. strain, extend(verb)

    use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity


  15. sift, sieve, strain(verb)


    "sift the flour"

  16. tense, strain, tense up(verb)

    cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious


  17. strain, tense(verb)

    become stretched or tense or taut


  18. filter, filtrate, strain, separate out, filter out(verb)

    remove by passing through a filter

    "filter out the impurities"

  19. puree, strain(verb)

    rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

    "puree the vegetables for the baby"

  20. deform, distort, strain(verb)

    alter the shape of (something) by stress

    "His body was deformed by leprosy"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. strain(noun)ɪn

    stress or problems caused by too much work or worry

    the strain of working two jobs to feed her family; soldiers under strain; High demand puts a strain on the electricity supply.

  2. strainɪn

    a painful muscle that has been pulled or twisted

    a shoulder strain

  3. strainɪn

    physical stress or injury

    the strain on your eyes from staring at a computer

  4. strainɪn

    in science, a type of sth

    A new strain of the fungus is affecting crops.

  5. strain(verb)ɪn

    to twist or pull a muscle

    I strained my wrist.

  6. strainɪn

    to make sb or sth have stress or problems

    My father's illness strained relationships within the family.; expensive medical bills that strain the finances

  7. strainɪn

    to use a lot of physical effort to do sth

    He strained to reach the rope as it slid away.

  8. strainɪn

    to separate the solid pieces from a liquid

    Strain the lumps from the sauce.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Strain(noun)

    race; stock; generation; descent; family

  2. Strain(noun)

    hereditary character, quality, or disposition

  3. Strain(noun)

    rank; a sort

  4. Strain(adj)


  5. Strain(adj)


  6. Strain(adj)

    to exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously

  7. Strain(adj)


  8. Strain(adj)


  9. Strain(adj)


  10. Strain(adj)

    to squeeze; to press closely

  11. Strain(adj)

    to make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain

  12. Strain(adj)

    to urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a petition or invitation

  13. Strain(adj)


  14. Strain(verb)

    to make violent efforts

  15. Strain(verb)

    to percolate; to be filtered; as, water straining through a sandy soil

  16. Strain(noun)

    the act of straining, or the state of being strained

  17. Strain(noun)


  18. Strain(noun)

    a change of form or dimensions of a solid or liquid mass, produced by a stress

  19. Strain(noun)


  20. Strain(noun)


  21. Strain(noun)

    turn; tendency; inborn disposition. Cf. 1st Strain

The Standard Electrical Dictionary

  1. Strain

    The condition of a body when subjected to a stress. Various consequences may ensue from strain in the way of disturbance of electric and other qualities of the body strained.

Editors Contribution

  1. strain

    to strain something


British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'strain' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4159

  2. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'strain' in Nouns Frequency: #1423

  3. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'strain' in Verbs Frequency: #943

Translations for strain

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary


a kind or breed (of animals, plants etc)

a new strain of cattle.

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