STRAIN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does strain mean? 

• STRAIN (noun)
  The noun STRAIN has 11 senses:

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

2. difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension

3. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

4. (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress

5. a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

6. (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups

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

8. the general meaning or substance of an utterance

9. an effortful attempt to attain a goal

10. an intense or violent exertion

11. the act of singing

  Familiarity information: STRAIN used as a noun is familiar.

• STRAIN (verb)
  The verb STRAIN has 9 senses:

1. to exert much effort or energy

2. test the limits of

3. use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity

4. separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements

5. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

6. become stretched or tense or taut

7. remove by passing through a filter

8. rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

9. alter the shape of (something) by stress

  Familiarity information: STRAIN used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STRAIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

deformation (alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of stress to it)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

overstrain (too much strain)

Derivation:

strain (cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious)

strain (become stretched or tense or taut)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

strain; stress

Context example:

he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

difficulty (a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

air; line; melodic line; melodic phrase; melody; strain; tune

Context example:

she was humming an air from Beethoven

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Meronyms (parts of "strain"):

musical phrase; phrase (a short musical passage)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

fanfare; flourish; tucket ((music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments)

glissando (a rapid series of ascending or descending notes on the musical scale)

roulade ((music) an elaborate run of several notes sung to one syllable)

leitmotif; leitmotiv (a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas))

theme song (a melody that recurs and comes to represent a musical play or movie)

signature; signature tune; theme song (a melody used to identify a performer or a dance band or radio/tv program)

idea; melodic theme; musical theme; theme ((music) melodic subject of a musical composition)

part; voice (the melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

mental strain; nervous strain; strain

Context example:

the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

nerves; nervousness (an uneasy psychological state)

Domain category:

psychological science; psychology (the science of mental life)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

stress; tenseness; tension ((psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A special variety of domesticated animals within a species

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

breed; stock; strain

Context example:

he created a new strain of sheep

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

animal group (a group of animals)

variety ((biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

bloodstock (thoroughbred horses (collectively))

pedigree (line of descent of a purebred animal)

Holonyms ("strain" is a member of...):

species ((biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

form; strain; var.; variant

Context example:

a new strain of microorganisms

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

taxon; taxonomic category; taxonomic group (animal or plant group having natural relations)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Holonyms ("strain" is a member of...):

species ((biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

harm; hurt; injury; trauma (any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.)

Derivation:

strain (alter the shape of (something) by stress)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The general meaning or substance of an utterance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

strain; tenor

Context example:

although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

meaning; substance (the idea that is intended)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

drift; purport (the pervading meaning or tenor)

Sense 9

Meaning:

An effortful attempt to attain a goal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

nisus; pains; strain; striving

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

attempt; effort; endeavor; endeavour; try (earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

jehad; jihad (a holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal)

Derivation:

strain (to exert much effort or energy)

strain (use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity)

strenuous (taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance)

Sense 10

Meaning:

An intense or violent exertion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

strain; straining

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

effort; elbow grease; exertion; sweat; travail (use of physical or mental energy; hard work)

Derivation:

strain (use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity)

strain (test the limits of)

strenuous (characterized by or performed with much energy or force)

strain (to exert much effort or energy)

Sense 11

Meaning:

The act of singing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

song; strain

Context example:

with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates

Hypernyms ("strain" is a kind of...):

vocal music (music that is vocalized (as contrasted with instrumental music))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "strain"):

cradlesong; lullaby (the act of singing a quiet song to lull a child to sleep)

carol (a joyful song (usually celebrating the birth of Christ))

• STRAIN (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

To exert much effort or energy

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

reach; strain; strive

Context example:

straining our ears to hear

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

drive; labor; labour; push; tug (strive and make an effort to reach a goal)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

extend oneself (strain to the utmost)

kill oneself; overexert oneself (strain oneself more than is healthy)

bother; inconvenience oneself; trouble; trouble oneself (take the trouble to do something; concern oneself)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

strain (an intense or violent exertion)

strain (an effortful attempt to attain a goal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Test the limits of

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

strain; stress; try

Context example:

You are trying my patience!

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

afflict (cause great unhappiness for; distress)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

rack (stretch to the limits)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

strain (an intense or violent exertion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

extend; strain

Context example:

Don't strain your mind too much

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

overextend; overstrain (strain excessively)

task; tax (use to the limit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

strain (an intense or violent exertion)

strain (an effortful attempt to attain a goal)

straining (an intense or violent exertion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

sieve; sift; strain

Context example:

sift the flour

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

separate (divide into components or constituents)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

rice (sieve so that it becomes the consistency of rice)

resift (sift anew)

riddle; screen (separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff)

winnow (separate the chaff from grain by using air currents)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

strainer (a filter to retain larger pieces while smaller pieces and liquids pass through)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

strain; tense; tense up

Context example:

he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

affect (act physically on; have an effect upon)

Cause:

tense; tense up (become tense, nervous, or uneasy)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

extend; stretch (extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody

Antonym:

unstrain (cause to feel relaxed)

Derivation:

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

Sense 6

Meaning:

Become stretched or tense or taut

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

strain; tense

Context example:

the rope strained when the weight was attached

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

tighten (become tight or tighter)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

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

Sense 7

Meaning:

Remove by passing through a filter

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

filter; filter out; filtrate; separate out; strain

Context example:

filter out the impurities

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

separate (divide into components or constituents)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

strainer (a filter to retain larger pieces while smaller pieces and liquids pass through)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

puree; strain

Context example:

puree the vegetables for the baby

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

rub (move over something with pressure)

Domain category:

cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 9

Meaning:

Alter the shape of (something) by stress

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

deform; distort; strain

Context example:

His body was deformed by leprosy

Hypernyms (to "strain" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "strain"):

jaundice (distort adversely)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

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

 Context examples 

I could detect the strain in the Professor's patient voice.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Proteins found in any species or strain of mouse.

(Mouse Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

The use of special strains of mice to study a human disease or condition, and how to prevent and treat it.

(Mouse model, NCI Dictionary)

Muscle strain or tension often causes neck pain.

(Neck Injuries and Disorders, NIH)

NV1020 has shown reduced virulence against normal tissues and a decreased neurovirulence in comparison with some other modified HSV strains.

(NV1020, NCI Thesaurus)

An alteration in the normal structure of the skin relative to normal for a specific age, mouse strain, and skin site that does not involve a clonal proliferation of cells.

(Non-neoplastic Disorders of the Mouse Skin, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

At last, after what seemed centuries, unable longer to stand the strain, I looked around.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Her face was white and strained.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Last month put a strain on everyone.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The children in the study took probiotic capsule that contained different strains of live bacteria, each of which have been found to have some positive benefits in research.

(Supplements of 'Good Bacteria' Can Enhance Weight Loss in Dieters, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)