Read the dictionary definition of strain. All definitions for this word.
1. the act of singing
1. with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates
2. an intense or violent exertion
3. an effortful attempt to attain a goal
4. the general meaning or substance of an utterance
1. although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument
5. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
1. she was humming an air from Beethoven
6. a special variety of domesticated animals within a species
1. he experimented on a particular breed of white rats
2. he created a new strain of sheep
7. (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
1. a new strain of microorganisms
8. (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
9. injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
10. (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
1. his responsibilities were a constant strain
2. the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him
11. difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
1. she endured the stresses and strains of life
2. he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger
12. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
1. he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
13. alter the shape of (something) by stress
1. His body was deformed by leprosy
14. to exert much effort or energy
1. straining our ears to hear
15. use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
1. He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro
2. Don't strain your mind too much
16. rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
1. puree the vegetables for the baby
17. remove by passing through a filter
1. filter out the impurities
18. separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
1. sift the flour
19. become stretched or tense or taut
1. the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
2. the rope strained when the weight was attached
20. test the limits of
1. You are trying my patience!
