[strain] n [ME streen progeny, lineage, fr. OE streon gain, acquisition; akin to OHG gistriuni gain, L struere to heap up--more at strew] (13c) 1 a: lineage, ancestry b: a group of presumed common ancestry with clear-cut physiological but usu. not morphological distinctions "a high-yielding ~ of winter wheat"; broadly: a specified infraspecific group (as a stock, line, or ecotype) c: kind, sort "discussions of a lofty ~"
2. a: inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition "a ~ of madness in the family" b: trace, streak "a ~ 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
[2]strain vb [ME, fr. MF estraindre, fr. L stringere to bind or draw tight, press together; akin to Gk strang-, stranx drop squeezed out, strangale halter] vt (14c) 1 a: to draw tight: cause to fit firmly "~ the bandage over the wound" b: to stretch to maximum extension and tautness "~ a canvas over a frame"
2. a: to exert (as oneself) to the utmost b: to injure by overuse, misuse, or excessive pressure "~ed his back" c: to cause a change of form or size in (a body) by application of external force
3: to squeeze or clasp tightly: as a: hug b: to compress painfully: constrict
4. a: to cause to pass through a strainer: filter b: to remove by straining "~ lumps out of the gravy"
5: to stretch beyond a proper limit "that story ~s my credulity"
6. obs: to squeeze out: extort ~ vi 1 a: to make violent efforts: strive "has to ~ to reach the high notes" b: to pull against resistance "a dog ~ing at its leash" c: to contract the muscles forcefully in attempting to defecate--often used in the phrase strain at stool
2: to pass through or as if through a strainer "the liquid ~s readily"
3: to make great difficulty or resistance: balk -- strain a point : to go beyond a usual, accepted, or proper limit or rule [3]strain n (1558) 1: an act of straining or the condition of being strained: as a: bodily injury from excessive tension, effort, or use "heart ~"; esp: one resulting from a wrench or twist and involving undue stretching of muscles or ligaments "back ~ " b: excessive or difficult exertion or labor c: excessive physical or mental tension; also: a force, influence, or factor causing such tension "her responsibilities were a constant ~" d: deformation of a material body under the action of applied forces
2: an unusual reach, degree, or intensity: pitch 3 archaic: a strained interpretation of something said or written