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1 definition found

From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:

  strain
      n 1: (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action
           of applied forces
      2: difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she
         endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over
         the economy during the period of the greatest stress and
         danger"- R.J.Samuelson [syn: {stress}, {strain}]
      3: a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she
         was humming an air from Beethoven" [syn: {tune}, {melody},
         {air}, {strain}, {melodic line}, {line}, {melodic phrase}]
      4: (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" [syn:
         {strain}, {mental strain}, {nervous strain}]
      5: a special variety of domesticated animals within a species;
         "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he
         created a new strain of sheep" [syn: {breed}, {strain},
         {stock}]
      6: (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ
         in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of
         microorganisms" [syn: {form}, {variant}, {strain}, {var.}]
      7: injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in
         swelling and pain
      8: the general meaning or substance of an utterance; "although I
         disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument"
         [syn: {tenor}, {strain}]
      9: an effortful attempt to attain a goal [syn: {striving},
         {nisus}, {pains}, {strain}]
      10: an intense or violent exertion [syn: {strain}, {straining}]
      11: the act of singing; "with a shout and a song they marched up
          to the gates" [syn: {song}, {strain}]
      v 1: to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to
           hear" [syn: {strive}, {reach}, {strain}]
      2: test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn:
         {try}, {strain}, {stress}]
      3: 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" [syn: {strain}, {extend}]
      4: separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device
         to separate out coarser elements; "sift the flour" [syn:
         {sift}, {sieve}, {strain}]
      5: cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a
         phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up" [syn: {tense},
         {strain}, {tense up}] [ant: {loosen up}, {make relaxed},
         {relax}, {unlax}, {unstrain}, {unwind}]
      6: become stretched or tense or taut; "the bodybuilder's neck
         muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was
         attached" [syn: {strain}, {tense}]
      7: remove by passing through a filter; "filter out the
         impurities" [syn: {filter}, {filtrate}, {strain}, {separate
         out}, {filter out}]
      8: rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender;
         "puree the vegetables for the baby" [syn: {puree}, {strain}]
      9: alter the shape of (something) by stress; "His body was
         deformed by leprosy" [syn: {deform}, {distort}, {strain}]

Source : WordNet ® Princeton University. 2010.