Strain

[streɪn] or [stren]

Definition

(noun.) an intense or violent exertion.

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

(noun.) injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain.

(noun.) (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'.

(verb.) 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'.

(verb.) become stretched or tense or taut; 'the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;' 'the rope strained when the weight was attached'.

Checker: Tom--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) Race; stock; generation; descent; family.

(n.) Hereditary character, quality, or disposition.

(n.) Rank; a sort.

(a.) To draw with force; to extend with great effort; to stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument.

(a.) To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as forces on a beam to bend it.

(a.) To exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously.

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

(a.) To injure by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force; as, the gale strained the timbers of the ship.

(a.) To injure in the muscles or joints by causing to make too strong an effort; to harm by overexertion; to sprain; as, to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to strain a muscle.

(a.) To squeeze; to press closely.

(a.) To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.

(a.) To urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a petition or invitation.

(a.) To press, or cause to pass, through a strainer, as through a screen, a cloth, or some porous substance; to purify, or separate from extraneous or solid matter, by filtration; to filter; as, to strain milk through cloth.

(v. i.) To make violent efforts.

(v. i.) To percolate; to be filtered; as, water straining through a sandy soil.

(n.) The act of straining, or the state of being strained.

(n.) A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles; as, he lifted the weight with a strain; the strain upon a ship's rigging in a gale; also, the hurt or injury resulting; a sprain.

(n.) A change of form or dimensions of a solid or liquid mass, produced by a stress.

(n.) 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.

(n.) 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; also, a course of action or conduct; as, he spoke in a noble strain; there was a strain of woe in his story; a strain of trickery appears in his career.

(n.) Turn; tendency; inborn disposition. Cf. 1st Strain.

Editor: Sallust

Synonyms and Synonymous

v. a. [1]. Stretch, draw tightly.[2]. Wrench, sprain.[3]. Exert (to the utmost), put to the utmost strength.[4]. Pervert (from the true intent), push too far.[5]. Force, constrain, compel.[6]. Filter, purify (by filtration).

v. n. [1]. Try hard, make great efforts.[2]. Percolate, filter, be filtered, be strained.

n. [1]. Extreme tension.[2]. Over-exertion, violent effort, great exertion.[3]. Sprain, wrench.[4]. Tune, melody, movement.[5]. Poem, lay, song, sonnet.[6]. Style, manner.

Checker: Sylvia

Synonyms and Antonyms

SYN:Stretch, tighten, force, exert, filter, filtrate, percolate, depurate, purify,clarify, defecate, lixiviate

ANT:Loosen, relax, remit, slacken, thicken, incrassate, inspissate, befoul

Checker: Maryann

Definition

n. race stock generation: descent: natural tendency any admixture or element in one's character.—n. Strain′ing-beam a tie-beam uniting the tops of the queen-posts.

v.t. to stretch tight: to draw with force: to exert to the utmost: to injure by overtasking: to make tight: to constrain make uneasy or unnatural: to press to one's self to embrace: to pass through a filter.—v.i. to make violent efforts: to filter.—n. the act of straining: a violent effort: an injury inflicted by straining esp. a wrenching of the muscles: a note sound or song stretch of imagination &c.: any change of form or bulk of a portion of matter either solid or fluid the system of forces which sustains the strain being called the stress: mood disposition.—ns. Strain′er one who or that which strains: an instrument for filtration: a sieve colander &c.; Strain′ing a piece of leather for stretching as a base for the seat of a saddle.—Strain a point to make a special effort: to exceed one's duty; Strain at in Matt. xxiii. 24 a misprint for Strain out.

Typist: Oliver