noun
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a sieve used for straining sauces, vegetables, tea, etc
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a gauze or simple filter used to strain liquids
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a self-locking device or a tool for tightening fencing wire
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the main post in a wire fence, often diagonally braced
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of strainer
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at strain 1, -er 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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This method works with anything with holes, such as a straw hat, a strainer, a cheese grater or even a perforated spoon.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2024
Roll them before juicing, use a reamer if you have it and use a fine-mesh strainer to catch seeds.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2023
In a kitchen blender, puree the watermelon well, and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
Set a mesh strainer over a small heatproof bowl and place near the stovetop.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
I pick up the strainer I've knocked off the counter in my haste and hold it in my hands.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Special strainers for grating and juicing tomatoes gained a place among kitchen furnishings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
She trimmed jeans threads, cooked savouries, shelled almonds and made tea strainers, door knobs, photo frames and toy guns.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024
Hand crank and electric tomato presses, strainers and sauce makers allow gardeners to separate the skins and seeds from the tomato meat for quicker and easier processing.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023
The tubes are approximately 10 mm in diameter, boast a narrow tip and include what appear to be strainers, which would filter out the impurities that were common in age-old beer.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2022
He instructed Joseph to pour the hot water over the strainers.
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
