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1. Dictionary

   strain

   /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"
   • ▪ make an unusually great effort: "his voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear it" Similar strugglelabourtoilmake a supreme effortmake every effortspare no effortstrain every nervetry very hardstrivebreak one's backpush/drive oneself to the limitdo one's bestinformal:pull out all the stopsgo all outgive it one's allbend/lean over backwardsgive it one's best shotbust a gutbreak one's neckdo one's damnedestkill oneselfgo for the doctor
   • ▪ injure (a limb, muscle, or organ) by overexerting it: "on cold days you are more likely to strain a muscle" Similar injurehurtdamageimpairpullwrenchteartwistsprainrickcrick
   • ▪ make severe or excessive demands on: "he strained her tolerance to the limit" Similar overtaxoverworkoverburdenoverextendoverreachovertaskmake too many demands onrun/work oneself into the groundexert excessivelydrive too farexert to the limitpush to the limitexhaustwear outfatiguetiretaxoverdo itwork too hardinformal:knackerknock oneself out
   • ▪ pull or push forcibly at something: "the bear strained at the chain around its neck" Similar pulltugheavehauljerkpushinformal:yank
   • ▪ stretch (something) tightly: "the barbed wire fence was strained to posts six feet high"
   • ▪ embrace (someone) tightly: archaic "she strained the infant to her bosom again"
   • 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"
   • ▪ cause liquid to drain off (food which has been boiled, soaked, or canned) by using a porous or perforated device: "she turned to the sink to strain the noodles" Similar sievesiftfilterscreenriddleseparatepercolateleachrare:filtrategriddle
   • ▪ drain (liquid) off food by using a porous or perforated device: "strain off the surplus fat" Similar sievesiftfilterscreenriddleseparatepercolateleachrare:filtrategriddle

   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 tensiontightnesstautnesssheardistensionrare:tensity
   • ▪ an injury to a part of the body caused by overexertion: "he has a slight groin strain" Similar injurysprainwrenchtwistrick
   • ▪ the magnitude of a deformation, equal to the change in the dimension of a deformed object divided by its original dimension.
   • 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 pressuredemandsburdensexertionsstresstensioninformal:hassle
   • ▪ a state of tension or exhaustion resulting from severe demands on one's strength or resources: "the telltale signs of nervous strain" Similar stresstensionnervous tensionanxietyexhaustionfatiguetirednesswearinesspressure of workoverworkduressOpposite relaxation
   • 3. the sound of a piece of music: "the distant strains of the brass band grew louder" Similar soundmusicmelodytuneairsong

   Word Origin Middle English (as a verb): from Old French estreindre, from Latin stringere ‘draw tight’. Current senses of the noun arose in the mid 16th century.

   Derivatives

   • 1. strainable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 6

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     1

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   • R

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   • A

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   • I

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   • N

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2. People also ask

   What is the meaning of strain?

   • Strain means 壓力, 拉力，張力, 作用力 (pressure, pull, tension, force) in the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary. It also means a feeling of being worried and nervous about something or to cause problems for someone or to.

   STRAIN | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/learner-english/strain

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   What does sprain mean?

   • See stringent 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.

   STRAIN Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com/browse/strain

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   What does it mean to strain a person or organization?

   • If strain is put on a person or organization, they have to do more than they are really able to do. She couldn't cope with the stresses and strains of her career. To strain something means to make it do more than it is really able to do. The number of flights is straining the air traffic control system.

   STRAIN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/strain

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   How do you use the word strained in a sentence?

   • 1. stretch, test, tax, overtax, push to the limitResources will be further strained by new demands for housing. 2. injure, wrench, sprain, damage, pull, tear, hurt, twist, rick, impair, overexert He strained his back during a practice session. 4. sieve, filter, sift, screen, separate, riddle, purify Strain the stock and put it back in the pan.

   Strain - definition of strain by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com/strain

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   What does it mean if a system is under strain?

   • If strain is put on an organization or system, it has to do more than it is able to do. The prison service is already under considerable strain. ...the credit crunch caused by strains on the banking system. To strain something means to make it do more than it is able to do.

   STRAIN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/strain

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   What is a strain of ancestry?

   • a passage or piece of poetry. a humorous strain. a strain of courageous enthusiasm. the body of descendants of a common ancestor, as a family or stock. any of the different lines of ancestry united in a family or an individual.

   STRAIN Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

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3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishSTRAIN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   STRAIN definition: 1. a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing…. Learn more.

   • English (US)

     STRAIN meaning: 1. a force or influence that stretches,...

   • Znaczenie Strain, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary

     STRAIN definicja: 1. a force or influence that stretches,...

   • Strain in Traditional Chinese

     STRAIN translate: 壓力, 壓力;拉力，張力;作用力, （肌肉等軟組織的）損傷，拉傷，扭傷,...

   • Strain: Arabic Translation

     STRAIN translate: ضَغْط عَصَبي, تَوتّر, يَبْذُل جَهْدًا,...

4. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishSTRAIN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   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.

5. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › strainStrain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › strain

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   1. 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. discussions of a lofty strain. 2. a.

6. www.dictionary.com › browse › StrainSTRAIN Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › Strain

   • Cached

   Strain definition: to draw tight or taut, especially to the utmost tension; stretch to the full. See examples of STRAIN used in a sentence.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › strainSTRAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › strain

   • Cached

   STRAIN meaning: 1. a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing…. Learn more.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › strainSTRAIN | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › strain

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   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.

9. www.thefreedictionary.com › strainStrain - definition of strain by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › strain

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   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.