English Explanatory Dictionary

strain

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Race; lineage, pedigree.
  2. A particular variety of a microbe, virus, or other organism, usually a taxonomically infraspecific one.
  3. Hereditary character, quality, tendency, or disposition.
  4. 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, etc.
  5. Language that is eloquent, poetic, or otherwise heightened.
  6. A kind or sort (of person etc.).
  7. Treasure.
  8. The blood-vessel in the yolk of an egg.
verb
  1. To hold tightly, to clasp.
  2. To apply a force or forces to by stretching out.
  3. To damage by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force.
  4. To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as when bending a beam.
  5. To exert or struggle (to do something), especially to stretch (one's senses, faculties etc.) beyond what is normal or comfortable.
  6. To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in terms of intent or meaning.
  7. To separate solid from liquid by passing through a strainer or colander.
  8. To percolate; to be filtered.
  9. To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.
  10. To urge with importunity; to press.
  11. To hug somebody; to hold somebody tightly.
noun
  1. The act of straining, or the state of being strained.
  2. A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles.
  3. An injury resulting from violent effort; a sprain.
  4. A dimensionless measure of object deformation either referring to engineering strain or true strain.
  5. The track of a deer.
verb
  1. To beget, generate (of light), engender, copulate (both of animals and humans), lie with, be born, come into the world.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/stɹeɪn/ en-us-strain.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-strain.wav

Word forms

strain strains straining strained

Etymology

From Middle English streen, strene, streon, istreon (“race, stock, generation”), from Old English strēon, ġestrēon (“gain, wealth”), from Proto-Germanic *streuną (“heap, treasure, profit, gain”), from Proto-Indo-European *strew- (“to spread, strew”) (cognate with Old Saxon gistriuni, Old High German gistriuni (“gain, property, wealth, business”), Latin strues (“heap”)). Confused in Middle English with the related noun strend, strynd, strund, from Old English strȳnd (“race; stock”), from strēonan, strȳnan (“to beget; acquire”). Related also to Dutch struinen (“to prowl, root about, rout”).

Synonyms

propensity proneness theme motive manner style

Related words

strew stress strict stringent

Derived words

Andromeda strain Delta strain eigenstrain interstrain intrastrain isostrain macrostrain microstrain omicron strain serostrain strainful strainless strainmeter strainometer strainproof strainsome straintronics substrain superstrain overstrain restrain unstrain astrain gnat-strain outstrain strainable strain a point strain at a gnat strain at the leash strain courtesy strainer strain every nerve strain the potatoes upstrain withstrain breaking strain eyestrain multistrain oblique strain repetitive strain injury strain burst strain energy strain gauge strain hardening strain insulator strain rate strain relief tensile strain transannular strain van der Waals strain yield strain

Translations

Bulgarian: разтягам Danish: overstrække Dutch: overstrekken Finnish: venäyttää French: étirer German: überdehnen German: überbeanspruchen German: überstrecken German: überstrapazieren German: überspannen German: überlasten German: überanstrengen German: verrenken German: zerren German: recken German: reißen Hungarian: túlfeszít Hungarian: túlterhel Hungarian: terhet jelent Hungarian: túlzottan megterhel Hungarian: megerőltet Hungarian: túlerőltet Ingrian: venahtaa Irish: sníomh Italian: slogare Italian: stravolgere Italian: distorcere Italian: protrudere Māori: tanuku Māori: whakatoutou Māori: whakawhēnanau Portuguese: distender Russian: растя́гивать Russian: растяну́ть Slovak: natiahnuť
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