Noun | 1. | strain - (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces |
2. | strain - 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 Synonyms: stress | |
3. | ![]() | |
4. | strain - (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" Synonyms: mental strain, nervous strain | |
5. | strain - 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. | strain - (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms" | |
7. | strain - a lineage or race of people Synonyms: breed | |
8. | strain - injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain | |
9. | strain - pervading note of an utterance; "I could follow the general tenor of his argument" Synonyms: tenor | |
10. | strain - an effortful attempt to attain a goal | |
11. | strain - an intense or violent exertion Synonyms: straining | |
12. | strain - the act of singing; "with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates" Synonyms: song | |
Verb | 1. | strain - to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to hear" |
2. | strain - test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" | |
3. | strain - 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" Synonyms: extend | |
4. | strain - separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; "sift the flour" | |
5. | strain - make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; | |
6. | strain - stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope" Synonyms: tense | |
7. | strain - remove by passing through a filter; "filter out the impurities" | |
8. | strain - rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender; "puree the vegetables for the baby" Synonyms: puree | |
9. | strain - alter the shape of (something) by stress; "His body was deformed by leprosy" |