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- Dictionarystrain/streɪn/
verb
- 1. force (a part of one's body or oneself) to make an unusually great effort: "I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any sound"
- 2. pour (a mainly liquid substance) through a porous or perforated device or material in order to separate out any solid matter: "strain the custard into a bowl"
noun
- 1. a force tending to pull or stretch something to an extreme or damaging degree: "the usual type of chair puts an enormous strain on the spine" Similar
- 2. a severe or excessive demand on the strength, resources, or abilities of someone or something: "the accusations put a strain on relations between the two countries" Similar
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STRAIN definition: 1. a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing…. Learn more.
a. : lineage, ancestry. b. : a group of presumed common ancestry with clear-cut physiological but usually not morphological distinctions. a high-yielding strain of winter wheat. broadly : a specified infraspecific group (such as a stock, line, or ecotype) c. : kind, sort.
Strain definition: to draw tight or taut, especially to the utmost tension; stretch to the full. See examples of STRAIN used in a sentence.
a. Extreme or laborious effort, exertion, or work: moved the sofa with little strain. b. A great or excessive demand or stress on one's body, mind, or resources: the strain of managing both a family and a career. c. The state of being subjected to such demands or stresses: trying to work under great strain. 3.
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.
The noun strain is a stretch, effort, or exertion. You can strain your ankle, or your little brother can strain your patience.
a feeling of being worried and nervous about something: The strain of the last few months had exhausted her. put a strain on sb/sth. to cause problems for someone or to make a situation difficult: Children put tremendous strains on a marriage.
to draw tight or taut, especially to the utmost tension; stretch to the full: to strain a rope. to exert to the utmost: to strain one's ears to catch a sound. to impair, injure, or weaken (a muscle, tendon, etc.) by stretching or overexertion.
[countable, uncountable] mental pressure or worry felt by somebody because they have too much to do or manage; something that causes this pressure. You will learn to cope with the stresses and strains of public life. I found it a strain having to concentrate for so long. Relax, and let us take the strain (= do things for you).
strain. [uncountable, countable] pressure on someone or something because they have too much to do or manage, or something very difficult to deal with; the problems, worry, or anxiety that this produces Their marriage is under great strain at the moment.
