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strain

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

strain¹ / strān/ • v. 1. [tr.] force (a part of one's body or oneself) to make a strenuous or unusually great effort: I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any sound. ∎  injure (a limb, muscle, or organ) by overexerting it or twisting it awkwardly: on cold days you are more likely to strain a muscle glare from the screen can strain your eyes. ∎  [intr.] make a strenuous and continuous effort: his voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear it. ∎  make severe or excessive demands on: he strained her tolerance to the limit. ∎  [intr.] pull or push forcibly at something: the bear strained at the chain around its neck his stomach was swollen, straining against the thin shirt. ∎  stretch (something) tightly: the barbed wire fence was strained to posts six feet high. ∎ archaic embrace (someone) tightly: she strained the infant to her bosom again. 2. [tr.] 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 that has been boiled, soaked, or canned) by using such a device. ∎  drain off (liquid) in this way: strain off the surplus fat. • n. 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 | aluminum may bend under strain. ∎  Physics the magnitude of a deformation, equal to the change in the dimension of a deformed object divided by its original dimension. ∎  an injury to a part of the body caused by overexertion or twisting a muscle awkwardly: he has a slight groin strain. 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| she's obviously under considerable strain. ∎  a state of tension or exhaustion resulting from this: the telltale signs of nervous strain. 3. (usu. strains) the sound of a piece of music as it is played or performed: through the open windows came the strains of a hurdy-gurdy playing in the street. PHRASES: at (full) strain archaic using the utmost effort. strain every nervesee nerve. strain at the leashsee leash.DERIVATIVES: strain·a·ble adj. strain² • n. 1. a breed, stock, or variety of an animal or plant developed by breeding. ∎  a natural or cultured variety of a microorganism with a distinct form, biochemistry, or virulence. 2. a particular tendency as part of a person's character: there was a powerful strain of insanity on her mother's side of the family. ∎  a variety of a particular abstract thing: a strain of feminist thought.

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© The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008.