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Strain Very Common

Strain has 25 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

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

"The metal rod began to strain as the heavy weight pulled it downward, visibly deforming its shape before snapping."

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"

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

"After lifting the heavy box, I felt sharp pain in my back that turned out to be a strained muscle."

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

"The team made every possible strain during the final minutes of the game to secure the victory."

10

an intense or violent exertion

"The heavy lifting caused such a severe strain on his back that he had to stop immediately."

11

the act of singing

"with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates"

12

Race; lineage, pedigree.

"The excessive lifting caused a painful strain in his back muscles."

13

The act of straining, or the state of being strained.

In plain English: Strain is physical pain that happens when you pull something too hard and hurt your muscles, tendons, or ligaments.

"The old bridge groaned under the heavy strain of traffic during rush hour."

Verb
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"

10

To hold tightly, to clasp.

"The ancient text was believed to describe how a particular spirit strain could only be generated through the union of two celestial beings."

11

To beget, generate (of light), engender, copulate (both of animals and humans), lie with, be born, come into the world.

In plain English: To strain something means to pull it hard enough that you are worried about breaking it.

"The heavy weight made her back strain during the move."

Usage: Use "strain" as a verb primarily when describing physical tension that causes something to stretch beyond its limit or become damaged. Avoid confusing it with synonyms like "stretch," which implies lengthening without necessarily implying damage.

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"Many distinguished members of the Strain family have served as ambassadors over the decades."

Example Sentences
"The old bridge groaned under the heavy strain of traffic during rush hour." noun
"The old guitar strings began to strain under the heavy tension of the new tuning pegs." noun
"She felt a sudden strain in her back after lifting the heavy box from the truck bed." noun
"There was an audible strain on the bridge as the crowd pressed forward during the concert." noun
"The heavy weight made her back strain during the move." verb
See Also
stress wear out superstrain epitonic passing breaking point isostrain vaccination
Related Terms
stress wear out superstrain epitonic passing breaking point isostrain vaccination sile subpassage strew rigidity modulus breaking strain race wild type intend wear strict triple reassortant intercrossing
Antonyms
unstrain unlax
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
deformation difficulty music nervousness variety animal group taxonomic group injury meaning attempt effort vocal music tug afflict use separate affect tighten rub shape
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
overstrain flourish glissando roulade leitmotiv theme song signature theme part tension bloodstock pedigree drift jihad carol lullaby extend oneself kill oneself trouble oneself rack tax rice resift riddle winnow stretch jaundice

Origin

The word strain comes from the Middle English meaning of "race" or "stock," which originally traced back to an Old English sense of "wealth" and a Proto-Germanic root for "treasure." This lineage ultimately derives from a very old Indo-European concept related to spreading things out, such as strewing.

Rhyming Words
ain iain jain nain hain rain vain lain gain fain sain main kain wain zain dain tain bain pain cain
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