n.
Pronunciation: ' str ā n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English streen progeny, lineage, from Old English str ē on gain, acquisition; akin to Old High German gi striuni gain, Latin struere to heap up ― more at STREW
Date: 13th century
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 (as a stock, line, or ecotype) c : KIND , SORT <discussions of a lofty strain >
2 a : inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition <a strain of madness in the family> b : TRACE , STREAK <a strain of fanaticism>
3 a : TUNE , AIR b : a passage of verbal or musical expression c : a stream or outburst of forceful or impassioned speech
4 a : the tenor, pervading note, burden, or tone of an utterance or of a course of action or conduct b : MOOD , TEMPER