strain
1[ streyn ]
/ streɪn /
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
Words nearby strain
Origin of strain
11250–1300; Middle English streinen (v.) < Old French estrein-, stem of estreindre to press tightly, grip < Latin stringere to bind, tie, draw tight. See stringent
SYNONYMS FOR strain
1 tighten.
3 Strain, sprain imply a wrenching, twisting, and stretching of muscles and tendons. To strain is to stretch tightly, make taut, wrench, tear, cause injury to, by long-continued or sudden and too violent effort or movement: to strain one's heart by overexertion, one's eyes by reading small print. To sprain is to strain excessively (but without dislocation) by a sudden twist or wrench, the tendons and muscles connected with a joint, especially those of the ankle or wrist: to sprain an ankle.
7 filter, sieve.
10 hug, embrace, press.
17 seep.
20 exertion.
22 wrench.
OTHER WORDS FROM strain
strain·ing·ly, adverbstrain·less, adjectivestrain·less·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for straining
British Dictionary definitions for straining (1 of 2)
strain1
/ (streɪn) /
verb
noun
Word Origin for strain
C13: from Old French estreindre to press together, from Latin stringere to bind tightly
British Dictionary definitions for straining (2 of 2)
strain2
/ (streɪn) /
noun
the main body of descendants from one ancestor
a group of organisms within a species or variety, distinguished by one or more minor characteristics
a variety of bacterium or fungus, esp one used for a culture
a streak; trace
archaic a kind, type, or sort
Word Origin for strain
Old English strēon; related to Old High German gistriuni gain, Latin struere to construct
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for straining
strain
[ strān ]
A group of organisms of the same species, sharing certain hereditary characteristics not typical of the entire species but minor enough not to warrant classification as a separate breed or variety. Resistance to specific antibiotics is a feature of certain strains of bacteria.
The extent to which a body is distorted when it is subjected to a deforming force, as when under stress. The distortion can involve a change both in shape and in size. All measures of strain are dimensionless (they have no unit of measure).♦ Axial strain is equal to the ratio between the change in length of an object and its original length.♦ Volume strain is equal to the ratio between the change in volume of an object and its original volume. It is also called bulk strain.♦ Shear strain is equal to the ratio between the amount by which an object is skewed and its length. Compare stress. See more at Hooke's law.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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