strain

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

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

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

• “she was humming an air from Beethoven”

(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”

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”

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

• “a new strain of microorganisms”

a lineage or race of people

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

lack of intellectual power

an effortful attempt to attain a goal

an intense or violent exertion

the act of singing

• “with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates”

to exert much effort or energy

• “straining our ears to hear”

test the limits of

• “You are trying my patience!”

use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity

• “He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro”
• “Don”

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

• “sift the flour”

make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;

stretch or force to the limit

• “strain the rope”

remove by passing through a filter

• “filter out the impurities”

rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender

• “puree the vegetables for the baby”

alter the shape of (something) by stress

• “His body was deformed by leprosy”