Strain

From Old English strÄ“on, Ä¡estrÄ“on, from , from Proto-Indo-European *streu (cognate with Latin strues ("heap")).

Full definition of strain

(plural strains)

ShakespeareHe is of a noble strain.
DarwinWith animals and plants a cross between different varieties, or between individuals of the same variety but of another strain, gives vigour and fertility to the offspring.

Hereditary character, quality, or disposition.There is a strain of madness in her family.

TillotsonIntemperance and lust breed diseases, which, propogated, spoil the strain of nation.

A tendency or disposition.
(literary) Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, oration, book, etc.; theme; motive; manner; style
(biology) A particular breed or race of animal, microbe etc.They say this year's flu virus is a particularly virulent strain.
(music) A portion of music divided off by a double bar; a complete musical period or sentence; a movement, or any rounded subdivision of a movement.
(rare) A kind or sort (of person etc.).

From Old French estreindre (whence French Ã©treindre ("to grip")), from Latin stringere ("to draw tight together, to tie").

1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ii:So hauing said, her twixt her armes twaine
She straightly straynd, and colled tenderly ....
DrydenEvander with a close embrace
Strained his departing friend.

To apply a force or forces to by stretching out.to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a shipRelations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human rights and civil/military issues.
To damage by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force.The gale strained the timbers of the ship.
To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as when bending a beam.
To exert or struggle (to do something), especially to stretch (one's senses, faculties etc.) beyond what is normal or comfortable.Sitting in back, I strained to hear the speaker.

ShakespeareTo build his fortune I will strain a little.
ShakespeareHe sweats,
Strains his young nerves.
DrydenThey strain their warbling throats
To welcome in the spring.
1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4Thus my plight was evil indeed, for I had nothing now to burn to give me light, and knew that 'twas no use setting to grout till I could see to go about it. Moreover, the darkness was of that black kind that is never found beneath the open sky, no, not even on the darkest night, but lurks in close and covered places and strains the eyes in trying to see into it.

To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in terms of intent or meaning.to strain the law in order to convict an accused person

Jonathan SwiftThere can be no other meaning in this expression, however some may pretend to strain it.

To tighten (the strings of a musical instrument); to uplift (oneâ€™s voice).
(transitive) To separate solid from liquid by passing through a strainer or colander
(intransitive) To percolate; to be filtered.water straining through a sandy soil
To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.

(countable and uncountable; plural strains)

2013, Michael Sivak, Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?, Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent,.... This trend will put additional strain not only on global energy resources but also on the environmental prospects of a warming planet.

A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles.
he jumped up with a strain; the strain upon the sailboat's rigging
An injury resulting from violent effort; a sprain.

2011, April 11, Phil McNulty, Liverpool 3-0 Man City, Dirk Kuyt sandwiched a goal in between Carroll's double as City endured a night of total misery, with captain Carlos Tevez limping off early on with a hamstring strain that puts a serious question mark over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley.

(uncountable, engineering) A dimensionless measure of object deformation either referring to engineering strain or true strain.
(obsolete) The track of a deer.

1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 145:When they have shot a Deere by land, they follow him like bloud-hounds by the bloud, and straine, and oftentimes so take them.